


Can't Get It Out

by ashleymarcix



Category: South Park
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-01-21 17:50:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 93,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12462798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashleymarcix/pseuds/ashleymarcix
Summary: At the beginning of high school, Tweek parted ways with his usual group of friends. Now it was his junior year, and he was in steady rhythm, each day passing like the others. Until one day, fate brings him back to his old friends. Tweek and Craig were okay with their boring lives, but as time moved forward, they found themselves being brought together while enduring the hardships that followed.





	1. Chapter One

He tightened the lid on the thermos before taking a glance around. His replacement had already showed up for work, but to quiet the nagging in his head, he made sure things were in order before coming out from behind the counter. He half-waved goodbye before leaving the shop. The cold air bit his skin, and he felt a shiver run through his body. It was early October, and while the days were still a tolerable temperature, the mornings were cold. He sipped at his coffee, letting the warmth comfort him and the caffeine awaken him.

Tweek had started opening Tweek Bros during the summer, but he thought it would stop as soon as school started. It hadn’t though. His parents were still very adamant about him taking more hours at the shop. He didn’t get paid for his work there, and he suspected that was their reasoning, even though they wouldn’t say anything about it. He walked to school, something else he had started doing much more recently. Usually, his mother would drive him or he’d catch the bus. But, neither of those options were possible when leaving from the shop in the morning. He needed to walk quickly to make it on time, and it hardly gave his mind time to wander. It kept the intrusive thoughts at bay, and for that, he was thankful.

As he approached the school, he spotted the orange parka of his best friend, Kenny McCormick. Every morning, Kenny waited outside the school for him. They didn’t talk much when they were kids in elementary school. Every now and then they’d hang out together, but Tweek had been more accustomed to spending his time with Clyde, Craig, and Token. Kenny was always seen with Cartman, Kyle, and Stan. He only spent time with Kenny when the two friend groups came together. As they all grew older, those times became more and more sparse. When high school hit, things began to change dramatically. Tweek no longer spent time with his group of friends. There wasn’t a big blowup. No one betrayed the other, and there weren’t harsh feelings. They just grew up.

Kenny was the first person to notice that Tweek began arriving to school by himself. He found it odd, but he let it be. But, as time went on, he noticed that Tweek sat alone at lunch, if he even came to the cafeteria at all. He could remember seeing Tweek alone in the hallway during their lunch period. He would never know what came over him. He couldn’t remember the last time he had an actual conversation with Tweek, but that day, he stopped in his tracks and looked at Tweek. Tweek’s eyes were wide in panic, but Kenny easily soothed his fears.

From that day forward, Kenny made an effort to include Tweek in his everyday life. Kenny understood Tweek, and Tweek understood him. The two boys could confide in each other. Tweek always heard the rumors, and even if they were true, he didn’t judge Kenny, and that’s something he appreciated. Standing next to Kenny was Kyle. There was a look of distaste on his face as Kenny finished a cigarette, throwing the butt onto the floor, and stepping on it. Tweek reached them, and Kenny clapped him on the back. “Another early morning?”

Tweek nodded tiredly and took another sip of his coffee. Kenny chuckled and turned to head inside. Kyle rolled his eyes and picked up the cigarette butt from the ground. “Seriously Kenny, if you’re going to indulge in a gross habit, at least pick up after yourself.”

Both Tweek and Kenny looked over at Kyle, and Kenny simply shrugged. Tweek cleared his throat. “He’s right, er, Kenny.” Kenny looked at him. “You shouldn’t leave garbage on the ground. If a bird picked it up and ate it, it would die, and who knows how that would affect the ecosystem. It’s one bird at first, but if it keeps happening, the death of birds would add up, and it could be detrimental to South Park’s insect levels.”

The two boys stared at Tweek, and Kyle nodded slowly. “Thank you, Tweek.” He said as he tossed the cigarette butt into a garbage can they were passing. Kenny wrapped an arm around Tweek’s shoulders.

“I’ll take that into consideration.” He grinned at Tweek, stopping at Tweek’s locker. Tweek opened it up, putting some books inside, and took a few out. Kenny waited patiently, watching him. Kyle stood on the other side of Kenny until he spotted Stan. He excused himself, wishing them a good day, and joined Stan, walking to their first class.

That left Kenny and Tweek alone, and Tweek sighed, shutting his locker. Kenny hadn’t looked away from the boy, and pushed himself off the lockers when they were ready to walk again. “Did you get any sleep before getting to work?”

Tweek shook his head. “I was busy studying chemistry. We have a test soon, and I don’t really get what we’re learning right now.” Kenny nodded as they entered their first class together. Kenny didn't do well with chemistry, so he would be no help to Tweek. He wondered if it would help if they studied together, but quickly discarded the thought. The last thing he wanted to do was form a study group. Tweek took his usual seat, and Kenny clapped him on the back before going to his seat, two rows behind him.

They day went by in an unmemorable blur for Tweek. He went to his classes, took notes, but he couldn’t confidently say he retained any information at all. It was lunch time now, and he dragged his feet into the cafeteria. Kenny was already sitting at their usual table, and Tweek plopped down into his seat, dropping his bag onto the table. Kenny looked at him with concern, his eyebrows furrowing. He didn’t get a word out before Tweek leaned against him, closing his eyes.

Kenny rubbed his back comfortingly as Tweek relaxed. “Maybe getting food will help wake you up.” He suggested, and Tweek shrugged. Kenny chuckled at his silence and nudged him gently. “Come on, I’ll stand in line with you.”

It took a few moments, but Tweek nodded and sat up straight again. Kenny watched as Tweek stood up and followed suit. He stood in front of him, leading the way to the end of the lunch line. They reached it, and since it wasn’t quite the beginning of the period, the line wasn’t as long as it usually was. Tweek looked around at the crowds of people that were near them, and from the corner of his eye, Kenny could see Tweek start to fidget.

“I really hope it isn’t meatloaf today.” Kenny commented, trying to distract his friend. It made Tweek chuckle softly, and he looked at him.

“It could be worse. It could be broiled fish.” Kenny scrunched his nose and didn’t voice any protest. Tweek tiredly smiled as Kenny shook his head. They made it through the line, Tweek deciding on a small container of cereal and carton of milk. He didn’t bother getting the school’s coffee. He knew he would be disappointed.

Leaving the line, Tweek tripped over the rug that served to cause traction and stop students from slipping. Ironically, he stumbled forward, and Kenny grabbed the back of his shirt, pulling him back. But, this was after Tweek bumped into Cartman in the process, causing the latter’s food to slide off his tray. Tweek winced as he heard the plate hit the ground. His eyes widened as he looked from the ground up to Cartman’s face. In the passing seconds, Cartman’s face grew redder, and instinctively, Tweek took a few steps backwards. He felt his back hit Kenny’s chest, and it was then that he noticed the dead silence in the cafeteria as everyone watched the scene unfold.

Stuttering, Tweek said, “C-Cartman, I’m sorry. I c-can-“ he was cut off before he could finish though.

“You’re sorry?” Cartman yelled. Tweek’s eyes widened more. “You completely ruined my lunch!”

“I’m sorry.” Tweek repeated.

Cartman shook his head. “You don’t know what sorry is you twiggy freak. How about you stop being such a spaz, fucking flamer.”

Tweek opened his mouth to try and mutter some kind of defense, but Kenny stepped between them. Tweek noticed the angry flare of Kenny’s nostrils and swallowed nervously. Tweek tugged on Kenny’s sleeve in an attempt to distract him. It didn’t work, and Kenny poked Cartman in the chest.

“Listen, you fat fuck. It was an accident. Move on before I move you.”

The two boys stared at each other, glaring. Finally, Cartman huffed and turned, walking away from them. Tweek still stared, frozen in his place, and wasn’t brought back to reality until Kenny shook him gently. Tweek looked up at him and flushed. “Come on, let’s go sit back down.”

Tweek looked down at the food that fallen to the ground. He handed over his food. “L-Let me just clean this up first.” Kenny nodded a little and brought Tweek’s stuff back to the table as Tweek bent down to clean up the mess.

The talking in the cafeteria returned to normal, and soon the food was cleared from the floor and discarded. Tweek returned to the table and sat down. Kyle was the first one to say something. “I’m sorry about Cartman.”

Kenny glared, really not wanting to talk about Eric Cartman, but Stan continued for Kyle, “It was really shitty. It’s not like skipping lunch is going to kill him.”

Kyle added, “He only needed to go get more.”

Tweek nodded and mumbled, “I was going to offer to buy him another lunch, but he just went off.”

Kenny sighed, “We all know he has a temper, but it doesn’t excuse how he talked to you.” Everyone nodded. “Can we talk about something else?”

Tweek was thankful and nodded as Stan changed the subject. Tweek ate his cereal quietly, listening to the conversation at their table, but not really adding to it. Soon lunch was over, and they all separated, going to their next class.

The day continued to be uneventful, but Tweek could tell people were whispering about the events that happened during lunch. He fought to ignore it and tried to keep his mind focused on something else, anything else, but he couldn’t stop it from returning back to the same subject.

He barely ate, so he was thin, but he didn’t think it was a bad thing. Criticizing someone on their weight was such a petty thing to do, but it still bothered him. Maybe he should work out, at least gain some muscle. But, he hardly had time for a social life, this wasn’t something he wanted to revolve his life around.

He was a spaz. He knew this. Everyone knew this. Still, when someone viciously pointed it out, it stung. He had been much worse when he was younger. Everything scared him, and if it didn’t scare him, his mind would warp it to the point where it would scare him. He would fidget constantly, and it took years to control. Still, under times of stress, he couldn’t control it no matter how hard he tried. He didn’t want to be that spazzy kid anymore. He wanted to be normal.

He wasn't cut out for the normal label though. The words Cartman spoke that stung the most was ‘flamer’. He wasn’t the only gay kid out at the school, but he was the easiest one to get picked on. It was mainly because of the other things that made him stick out amongst the crowd. ‘Spaz’, ‘Twig’, ‘Flamer’. It accumulated to him being the prime victim of bullying. Most people turned a blind eye to the bullying, and only a few people will stick up for the victims of it. Tweek didn’t need someone to fight his battles, but Kenny took it upon himself to help him in any way possible. Especially when it was his ex-friend that was the suspect behind it all.

No one had any tolerance for the things Eric Cartman said, and his ex-friends were on top of that list. They tolerated it when they were younger, but as they grew older, they grew tired of it. It wasn’t a shock. After years of name-calling, you need to cut out the cancer.

Tweek was deep in thought when his name was called in class. He snapped back to reality and looked up at the person who had said his name. Token stood in front of him, textbook and notebook in his hands. Token raised an eyebrow and sat at the empty desk next to Tweek. “In class activity.” He said simply, and Tweek nodded, looking at the chalkboard in front of the class. On it was a page number, and Tweek flipped to it in his Spanish textbook.

“S-Sorry,” he mumbled, reading over the activity in the book. Token only nodded in acknowledgement and let Tweek catch up. Once he finished reading, Tweek sighed softly and looked at Token. “We can just write the answers down and then compare answers?”

Token nodded, “I can just do it, and you can copy it down. If that’s easier…” He trailed off when he noticed the slight frown on Tweek’s face.

“I got this. I can help.”

Token nodded, “Okay then.”

In silence, they both began scribbling in their notebooks. At about the same time they both finished and looked over each other’s answers. Token hummed in surprise. Tweek looked over at him in confusion.

“I should apologize to you. I shouldn’t have assumed you were going to just copy off me.”

Tweek nodded, looking down at his own notebook. “It’s okay.” He said softly, “You probably get it a lot, being really smart and all.” He looked back up at Token.

Token gave him a genuine smile. Tweek felt a slight blush reach his cheeks. It reminded him of when they were younger. The teacher came by to check what they had accomplished, and when he was satisfied, he moved onto the next pair of students.

“Cartman’s a real shit.” Token said, closing his notebook. Tweek sighed again and looked at Token. Token felt the mood and hummed. “I guess you’re tired hearing about it.”

Tweek nodded a little. “I’m sorry. It’s just, yeah. He’s an asshole. I just want to forget about it.”

Token nodded, “You don't need to be sorry. I understand.” There was silence between the two of them again, but it wasn’t for long. “I know we haven’t talked in forever, Tweek, but we’re here for you.”

Tweek looked at him, confused. Token clarified, “Me, Clyde, and Craig.”

Tweek looked even more confused. They hadn’t talked in a little over two years, and Token was telling him that they had his back. It didn’t make sense to Tweek. He could feel his mind going into overdrive. He tried to think. He wanted to know what he had done to get their support. He understood why Kyle and Stan would be on his side. It wasn’t only because of his friendship with Kenny, they also didn’t like Cartman, but no one really liked him.

They might have been friends when they were younger, but they were just acquaintances now. Thinking about it, Tweek had to admit that he would help them if they asked. He didn’t know why, but maybe that was the reason they would be there for him. He was still confused, though.

Tweek looked back at Token, who was still looking at him. Tweek nodded and gave him a small smile. The bell rang and everyone got up from their seats to leave the classroom. It was the last period of the day, and people were eager to leave the school. Token was still besides him as they walked. “Thank you, Token.”

Token looked over and grinned at him. “No problem, man. We should hang out sometime.”

Tweek’s eyes widened, earning a small chuckle from Token. Ahead of them was Clyde and Craig, waiting for Token at his locker. They both looked at Token and Tweek, intrigued. Tweek nodded nervously. “Y-Yeah, that would be nice.”

He wasn’t lying. He would be nice to spend time with them all again, but the thought of it sent his anxiety from 0 to 180 in less than five seconds. They reached Token’s locker. “It was nice talking with you, Tweek.”

Tweek nodded and gave Clyde and Craig a small smile before leaving to go to his own locker without another word. They watched him walk away before engaging in their own conversation. Tweek opened his locker and put his stuff inside, grabbing the things he needed to do his homework that night. The short conversation he had with Token replayed in his head, and he shut his locker. Checking his phone, he felt his stomach drop as he read a text message he had received from his father. Kenny appeared out of thin air, getting Tweek’s attention. “Everything okay?”

Tweek nodded and muttered, “I have to go into work.”

Kenny frowned. “You just worked this morning.”

Tweek shrugged and headed out of the school, Kenny following him. He was too tired to argue. After this day, he was too tired to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter of a multi-chapter fic. I don't know how many chapters there's going to be, but I have up to chapter five outlined right now, and it's only the beginning.  
> It might be a little slow right now in the beginning, but all the fun begins in the next chapter.  
> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Chapter Two

Tweek was tired. He leaned against the counter of the coffee shop and stared out into the void. He was up early again to open the shop after closing it the night before, and it was a slow morning. There was a slight rush of customers around the 6:00am mark, but after that, only another three customers have come in. It’s almost 7:30am, and he was lost in thought while he waited for his replacement to show up so he could get to school.

Really, he should be trying to study or do homework or something school related, but he just didn’t have the attention span for that. He snapped back to reality and pushed himself off the counter to stand again. He walked over to the coffee pots, pouring himself more coffee, and drank it eagerly. It was going to take a miracle to make it through the day. As he finished his current cup of coffee, he heard the bell ring as someone entered the place. Tweek spun swiftly and raised his eyebrows, seeing Clyde standing at the register.

A wide smile spread across his features as he waved at Tweek. “Tweek, hey! I didn’t know you worked in the mornings.”

Tweek took his place, opposite of Clyde and nodded. “Not every morning, but yeah. I work when my parents ask me too.”

Clyde nodded, understandingly. “Yeah, I get that. I work at the shoe store every other day. If you ever need a discount, just let me know.” He finished with a laugh. Tweek looked down at his shoes, wondering if they looked like they needed replacing. He didn’t think they did, and he looked back up at Clyde.

“What can I get you?” He asked, eyeing the clock.

“Oh, right,” Clyde said and looked back up at the menu. He hummed loudly, tapping his chin. Tweek watched with interest. Clyde was how he remembered him. Clyde was always outgoing. He remembered the bickering that happened between Clyde and Craig. It brought a small smile to Tweek’s face. They were opposites, but they leveled each other out. It’s why they got along so well. “Can I get…a large…” Clyde paused again, and Tweek waited patiently for him to finish his order. “A large coffee with mocha.”

Tweek nodded and rang the order up on the register. He told Clyde his total before going off to make his coffee order. It only took a few moments because Clyde didn’t order an espresso beverage like most people. Espresso drinks took twice as long to make and hardly had the amount of caffeine that a cup of coffee had. He finished up and handed Clyde the coffee as Clyde handed him the money. “Don’t worry about the change.” He told Tweek, and Tweek smiled gratefully at him.

“Thanks Clyde.” He said. He put the money into the register but pocketed the change into his own pocket. That was the only time he could get paid for working at the coffee shop. Other than that, he never saw a cent. Clyde waved him goodbye before leaving the coffee shop, and Tweek’s replacement still wasn’t there. He began to feel the anxiety rise within him. He couldn’t be late for school. The school would contact his parents, and his parents would scold him for being irresponsible.

Tweek had prepared his thermos filled with coffee, and there was an urgency as the bell on the door rang again, and Tweek looked up to see his replacement rushing into the store. They apologized profusely as they came around the counter, grabbing an apron that was near the door to the backroom. Tweek didn’t say much to hide his annoyance. He mumbled that it was okay, and he hurried. He took off his own apron, grabbed his school things, and headed out of the shop without many other words.

He was in a near jog as he headed to school. He didn’t have enough time to make it there, but he didn’t want to give up. He had only made it a block when a car pulled over to the side of the road. Tweek felt panic rush over him, and he told himself to not look at the person driving the car. He didn’t want to give them a reason to beat him up or anything. Not that something like that happens in South Park. He was passing the car when he heard his name being called from inside the vehicle. His head snapped to look at the person and felt relief wash over him when he realized that it was Clyde.

“You’re walking to school?” He asked as Tweek approached the car. Tweek nodded but didn’t have time to verbally reply before Clyde said, “Hop in. I’ll give you a ride.” Tweek hesitated, but he didn’t want both of them to be late for school because of his indecisiveness. He got in and just got his seatbelt buckled before Clyde took off, driving towards their school.

Tweek played with the fabric of the hem of his shirt as Clyde drove. A song was coming through the radio, but the volume was so low that he could barely make out what it was that they were listening to. Tweek forced himself to look up, and Clyde took it upon himself to start a conversation to fill the car. “If you worked this morning, does that mean you’re free tonight?”

Tweek glanced over at him, but looked back at the road in front of them. “Y-Yeah, I should be.”

Clyde nodded. “Token told us how you and him were talking in class yesterday. I agreed, I think we should all hang out. We’re going to Token’s after school today to play some video games. You should totally come.” He said in one breath.

Tweek’s eyes widened, and he responded, “Can you really invite people over to someone else’s house?”

Clyde laughed and shrugged, “Token won’t mind, but I could ask him if it would make you feel better.”

Tweek nodded a little. “Maybe.”

They arrived at the school, and Clyde pulled into his usual parking spot, not that Tweek knew that. Tweek didn’t even know that Clyde had a car to drive to school. They both got out of the car and walked together to the front of the school. “Thank you for the ride, Clyde.”

Clyde chuckled, “Hey, that rhymed!” Tweek nodded a little, and he could see Kenny standing in front of the school like usual, confusion on his face. “And you’re welcome. If you ever want a ride, let me know!” He offered and ran into the school to probably meet up with Craig and Token. Tweek stopped at Kenny and looked at him.

Kenny raised an eyebrow. “You got a ride with Clyde?”

Tweek nodded, “He came into the coffee shop this morning, and I was running late. He saw me walking and offered me a ride.”

Kenny’s raised eyebrow quickly changed into him furrowing his eyebrows. “You worked?” Tweek nodded, and they walked into the school. Kenny mumbled something under his breath, and they followed their usual routine before heading to first period.

Tweek found himself dozing in an out through the first half of his school day before lunchtime. It caused his anxiety to spike. He tried being a good student, but when he could barely stay away during the duration of classes, it was going to be difficult to get good grades. He needed coffee.

He was the last out of the classroom and headed to his locker before going to the cafeteria. As Tweek was finishing up, a figure came into his peripheral vision. With a quick glance over, he could see it was Kenny. He gave Kenny a small smile, which Kenny returned. “Are you doing okay?”

Tweek shrugged and nodded. It wasn’t entirely a lie, but Tweek’s shaking made it appear that he was worse off than he was. Tweek took his thermos from his locker with plans to get the school’s coffee. He wasn’t thrilled, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Kenny rubbed Tweek's back, trying to comfort him again.

“I just need more coffee to get through the day.” Kenny chuckled and nodded before the walked to the cafeteria. “I brought leftover pastries from the shop for lunch.”

Kenny hummed in acknowledgement before Tweek continued, “For both of us. Whoever closes the shop gets to take the leftovers home, and they’re still perfectly good.”

Both boys sat down in their spot at the lunch table, and Kenny grinned at him. “So thoughtful. You're amazing, you know that?”

Tweek flushed and shook his head, pulling out the paper bag with leftover muffins and danishes. Kenny eagerly dug through the bag as Tweek got in line to get himself coffee. People walked around him with their friend groups, and his grip tightened on his thermos. He stood, facing forward, and chewed at his lower lip while he waited for the line to start moving.

“Hey Tweek!” He heard, and his looked around to figure out where it came from. The inflection in their voice sounded familiar, and he was soon face to face with Clyde. There was a wide grin as he waved, and behind him stood Craig. Tweek looked between the two, and Craig nodded at him as a ‘hello’. Tweek’s eyes landed on Clyde finally, and he asked, “Mind if we stand with you in line?”

Tweek hesitated but shook his head. “No, that’s fine.”

Clyde took a few steps forward to stand next to Tweek. Craig hung back, standing behind them with his hands in his hoodie’s pockets. Tweek couldn’t help but look back at him. Craig was a lot taller than before. To Tweek at least. Tweek hadn’t grown much, but he was still taller than many girls. Compared to Craig, though, Tweek felt short. Clyde was just an inch shorter than Craig, and both boys had filled out. Clyde gained muscle from playing sports. Craig’s frame was from genetics.

“Is your day going well?” Clyde asked him, initiating conversation.

Tweek nodded, “As well as school can go.” Clyde raised an eyebrow as Craig let out a low chuckled. Tweek could feel warmth spread to his cheeks, and he wondered if he had said something stupid. He tried covering it up, “I’m just looking forward to the weekend.”

“Doing anything fun?” He asked, and Tweek shook his head.

“Just looking forward to not having to do anything.”

Craig hummed and added, “There’s a new episode of Terrance and Philip this weekend.”

Clyde blinked and turned his body towards his friend. “You still watch that? That show’s been on eight years too long.”

Craig shot him a slight glare and flipped him off, resulting in Clyde rolling his eyes. Tweek couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his lips as he watched the exchange. Some things never changed. Sure, Craig didn’t get in trouble like he used to when he was younger, but that didn’t mean all of Craig had changed.

They made it to the front, and Tweek eagerly filled his thermos up with coffee. He then loaded it with creamer and sugar. He normally wouldn’t, but the school’s coffee was so bad that he needed to doctor it up to make it ingestible. Anyone who knew Tweek knew that he had what some might call an addiction to coffee. Neither Clyde or Craig made a comment about the coffee Tweek made himself and then paid for at the register.

It was the lack of nutritional substance though, “Is that all you’re going to eat?” Clyde asked with concern. Tweek’s eyes widened, and he looked over at him, shaking his head quickly.

“N-No, I brought some food from the coffee shop. It’s back at my table.” Clyde nodded and seemed to be content with this answer. They continued to walk together until Tweek reached his table. Kenny looked up at them and raised an eyebrow while mid-bite. Tweek glanced back at Clyde and Craig, “I’ll see you...”

Clyde nodded before asking quickly, “Did you figure out if you can come over?” Tweek looked back at him and saw Craig raise an eyebrow at Clyde. Tweek shrugged his shoulders a little, but it didn’t faze Clyde. He only grinned again and said, “Think about it!”

Clyde and Craig walked back to their table, and Tweek took his seat again. He took an eager sip of his coffee and grimaced at the taste. Kenny was still giving him a look, and Tweek blushed. “What is it?”

“They invited you to hang out?”

Tweek nodded and answered before shoving a piece of muffin into his mouth, “Yeah, to play video games as Token’s house.”

Kenny nodded. “Stan and the guys used to go over there from time to time and played games. I went a few times” Stan and Kyle sat down in their usual seats, and Kenny brought them into the conversation. “Hey guys, do you remember when we’d play video games at Token’s?”

The two boys look at Kenny and nodded. “We went a few times, yeah.” Stan answered.

Kyle added, “Because Token’s family is rich, he always had the latest games. It was fun.”

Tweek looked between the two of them and nodded. He looked back at Kenny who had a thoughtful look on his face. Tweek wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. While the idea of spending time with his old friends enticed him, he was tired. He didn’t even want to think of the homework that he had to do. He just wanted to sleep. Tweek sighed and finished his muffin and drank more of the coffee. He followed Kenny’s gaze to the table a few tables away from theirs. Clyde and Craig had joined Token and Nichole again. Token and Clyde were grinning at Craig as he tugged his hat further down on his head. Tweek tilted his head and looked back at Kenny.

“I’m just saying, you probably came off as a total dweeb.” Clyde exclaimed, nudging Craig.

“You’re a fucking asshole.” Token and Nichole watched with amusement. “Anyways, why didn’t you tell us you invited Tweek to Token’s house?”

Clyde looked to Token when he said, “Actually, he did tell me, and I thought it was a good idea.”

Craig rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath. Clyde added, “I didn’t think it was going to be such a big problem, you big baby.” Craig didn’t say anything, but he shook his head, resting it on the table and mumbled something again.

“What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.” Token asked with amusement. Craig mumbled again. “English, Craig.”

“’m not!” Craig said loudly and then groaned as he sat up, tugging at the end of his hat. Nichole awed at him and smiled sweetly. He flushed and dropped his head into his arms. The other three shared a knowing look as Craig mumbled, “We just haven’t seen him in so long. It’s going to make game night awkward.”

Token rolled his eyes and changed the subject, not feeding into Craig’s woes. Everyone else was glad for the change in subject, and they began talking animatedly again, minus Craig. With interest, Kenny had watched the exchange. He couldn’t hear them, but that didn’t stop his mind from piecing the pieces together.

By the end of Spanish, Tweek had forgotten all about the invitation to Token’s house, but it would appear that nearly everyone in that group wanted him to remember. As Tweek exited the classroom, Token caught up with him. “Hey, are you coming over?”

Tweek looked over at him and bit his lip. He was still on the fence about going, and he was really pushing the limit of how long he was making them wait for an answer. Token could sense his hesitation, and he added, “Don’t feel bad if you can’t come over. We just wanted to make sure you knew the invitation extended to you.”

Token’s kindness made Tweek feel guilty. He knew that was absolutely not Token’s intentions, but that didn’t stop the twisting in his stomach. Tweek looked away from Token, and he could see Craig and Clyde in the distance. Letting out a nervous hum, Tweek answered, “Sure, I’ll come over.”

Token grinned. “Great! Meet us in the front of the school?” Tweek nodded and left Token’s side to go to his locker. The anxiety only worsened, and he quickly put his things away and took what he needed. He shut his locker and made his way to the school’s entrance. He could see the three standing there, and Clyde was the first one to see him. He waved widely, and Craig hit him in the side, causing Clyde to groan as he grabbed his side.

“You’re such an ass.” He whined and leaned his weight onto Craig. Tweek watched them, and Token shook his head as Craig tried to shove him off.

“Everyone ready?” Token asked to get them moving along before Craig had a chance to respond to Clyde. Tweek nodded and then followed them to Clyde’s car. He should have known they were taking Clyde’s car, but he wasn’t sure where he was expected to sit, so he hung back a little, waiting for everyone else to get into the car. Before that could happen, Token said, “Tweek, you can have shotgun.”

Tweek nodded and quickly got into the car so no one was waiting on him. Soon Clyde was speeding off to Token’s house. The silence in the car had been filled almost instantly when Clyde turned up the radio in his car, an indie rock song playing through the speakers. Tweek sat and thought about the song choice. It made sense for Clyde, but he could see him listening to more poppy music as well. Clyde hummed along to the song and drummed against the steering wheel the entire way there.

As they got out of the car, Craig made a comment about Clyde’s ‘jam session’ before saying out loud, “Tweek, I give you permission to change the music next time.” Tweek looked over at him and nodded slightly.

“I, uh, okay.”

Tweek remembered the layout of Token’s house easily. Even though it was much larger than any of the other houses in South Park, he had been there enough to never forget the place. There was a wave of warmth air as they stepped into the house, and Tweek felt an instant sense of comfort as he looked around. Some of the furniture had changed, and photos on the wall had been updated, but overall, the place looked the same.

They went down into the basement, and it looked a lot different. The furniture had been updated. The walls had been repainted, and they upgraded the TV. There were a lot less children’s toys scattered around, and it was replaced with a pool table. Along the wall of the TV was every available gaming system along with a cabinet that held all of Token’s games and some movies.

Clyde took a seat on the couch first as Token set up the TV and sound system while the gaming console loaded up. Tweek glanced around at the available seats before sitting down on the loveseat the was perpendicular to the couch, forming an L shape. “Is there something you want to play, Tweek?”

Tweek jumped a little when addressed, and he looked over at Token. He shook his head and answered, “Whatever you guys want to play is fine. I don’t play a lot of games, so I’m not sure what there is anymore.”

Token nodded and chose Mario Kart. Token chose to sit next to Clyde, and that’s when he noticed that Craig was nowhere to be found. Tweek looked at Clyde and Token with raised eyebrows, and before he could even ask, Clyde answered, “He’s out smoking. Token doesn’t let him smoke in the house, so he gets a smoke in before we start.”

Tweek nodded slowly and looked towards the stairs. Token started up a game and handed Clyde a controller before handing one to Tweek. “We would like to give you the honor of the first game.” Tweek chuckled softly and took the controller. “Want something to drink? I can make some coffee.”

Tweek nodded eagerly, “If it isn’t a problem…” He trailed off. Token shook his head and grinned.

“One coffee coming up. Your usual, Clyde?”

Clyde didn’t respond. He just nodded since his eyes were glued to the screen. Tweek followed his gaze and realized they were choosing their characters. Clyde had already chosen Luigi, which made Tweek happy, since his go-to character was always Yoshi. After choosing his character, Clyde chose the Cup they would be racing. Token had left to get their drinks, and soon the game was starting.

Tweek sat on the edge of the couch, staring widely at the TV screen in focus. It was obvious that he was out of practice, but he wasn’t completely terrible at the game once he started getting used to the controls. They were in the middle of the second race when he felt the cushion next to him sink down. He threw him off guard, and he looked over to the offender. Craig was sitting there comfortably and smirked at the TV before looking at Tweek. “You might want to stay on the track.”

Tweek looked at him confused, and Craig motioned towards the TV. Tweek’s eyes widened, and he let out a noise before looking back at the TV, focusing on it once again. Running off the track had knocked him back a few places in the race, and he fully blamed Craig for that. He worked hard to get back up, but was content when he placed fourth in that race. 

Soon the Cup was over, and Tweek had handed the controller off to Craig. Token had come back, and Tweek was happily nursing the cup of coffee he was given. Now it was Token and Craig’s turn to play, and Clyde asked Tweek, “So, what have you been up to, Tweek?”

Tweek swallowed his sip of coffee, and tore his gaze away from the screen to look at Clyde. “Not a lot…” He trailed off before continuing. “I work a lot more at my parent’s shop. They trust me to open and close it a lot.” Clyde nodded. “But, when I’m home I play piano or something artsy.”

“Artsy?” Token questioned.

“I have one of those…’adult’ coloring books.” The two of them nodded. “It helps calm me down when I’m freaking out.”

Both Clyde and Token smiled, happy to hear this. Tweek’s anxiety wasn’t something new, and they were glad that their friend was finding methods that helped him. Tweek could see Craig glance at him from the corner of his eye, but Craig didn’t say anything.

“They have a lot of cool coloring books now. There’s like, three Harry Potter ones, and they all look so cool.” Clyde chimed, and Tweek smiled at him.

“I have one of those. One with animals too.”

The four of them engaged in conversation, catching up on the past few years. Even though none of them really knew why the three and Tweek had drifted apart, they didn’t let it stop them from rekindling their friendship. Tweek felt like he could become close to them once again, and while he was happy about it, the idea overwhelmed him. By being friends, he was letting more people into his life and sharing his thoughts and fears. It was something that he wanted to avoid, but it was something he knew he would have to try and embrace.

It was a few hours later when they had cleaned up, and Clyde offered to take Tweek home. It was dark outside, and Token’s house was far from his own. While South Park was relatively safe to walk around at night, Tweek didn’t want to risk it. He said goodbye to Token and got back into Clyde’s car. Craig let him ride shotgun again, and they were off. Clyde played his music loudly, and while Craig’s words repeated through his mind, he didn’t have the courage to even attempt to turn the music off. Clyde was being kind and driving him home, he didn’t want to take advantage of that. Tweek kept his eyes on the road, like usual, but he could sense eyes on him. He chalked it up to paranoia, but from the corner of his eye, he could see Craig watching him. It wasn’t in a threatening manner, but it still made Tweek uneasy.

Clyde pulled into Tweek’s driveway, and Tweek said goodbye before getting out of the car. Clyde waited for Tweek to get inside his house before leaving to drop Craig off. The lights were on inside of Tweek’s home, and when he got inside, he saw the lights were also on in the kitchen. After removing his shoes at the door, he went into the kitchen. No one was in there, but that wasn't unusual. He got something to drink before heading up to his room.

“Tweek?” He heard his father call. Tweek stopped and looked up at the stairs to the upstairs that his father was coming down. When his father reached the first floor, he looked at his son. “I’m going to need you to open the shop again tomorrow, okay?”

Tweek nodded slowly. He wanted to protest. He wanted to say no. He wanted to get his homework done. He wanted to try and sleep. His father looked at him expectantly, waiting for a verbal confirmation. Tweek held back a sigh, knowing that it would only spark an argument within his father. “Okay, I can do that.”

A pleasant smile spread across his father’s face, and he nodded, responding more like a businessman than a father. “Very good.”

Tweek’s grip tightened around the cup in his hand, and he moved around his father, going up to his room for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the people who commented for your lovely words! It was really appreciated. I hope you enjoyed the second chapter.   
> As a little update, my plan is to update 1-2 times a week from here on out.  
> If you have any questions, comments, or concerns feel free to send me a message on Tumblr at wickedhavoc!
> 
> Thank you again for your support!


	3. Chapter Three

Tweek’s head was rested on his math book. The loud conversations that were throughout the cafeteria didn’t even seem to bother him. He could feel himself drifting off to sleep, and that solidified just how tired he really was. Tweek’s body grew heavy, but he was rudely pulled from his relaxation when Kenny shook him gently.

“Gah! What?” He asked, his entire body snapping up, and he looked at the offender. Kenny smiled at him innocently.

“Sorry, but the lunch monitor was eyeing you.” Tweek sighed and rolled his eyes. “It was probably your charming looks, but I wanted to be safe than sorry.”

Tweek groaned and folded his arms onto the table, resting his chin on them. “Lying will get you nowhere.”

Both Stan and Kyle laughed at this, and Kenny shot them a glare. Tweek let his eyes close again, and for the time being, Kenny didn’t bother him. Tweek’s crazy work schedule had begun to take a toll on him. He was starting to get a handle on getting his school work done, but all the coffee in the world couldn’t bring life into his being. He valued the nights when he didn’t have to work. On those days, more often than not, he would head directly home and sleep. It was even better when he got a day during the weekend off. 

Kenny sighed and ruffled Tweek’s hair, getting a grimace from the boy, and Kenny laughed again. “Only a few more hours.” Tweek nodded. Today was one of those miraculous days that Tweek didn’t have to work. It was a Friday, and he was counting down the hours. “You should really say something to them.”

Tweek opened his eyes and looked towards him. Kenny meant well, but he wasn’t entirely aware of the whole situation. Not that it was a severe situation to begin with. The few times Tweek expressed not wanting to work at the shop, his parents heavily showed their disapproval. They’d say words and knock Tweek down. It took a hit at his conscience and make him feel bad.

“We’re giving you work experience anyone your age would beg for.” His mother would tell him. 

“You get so much more than we ever had. You need to learn to be grateful. No one wants to deal with someone so selfish.” His father would tell him. 

“Just smile and agree with them.” He told himself. 

Kenny’s eyes met Tweek’s, and he shrugged. “It’s just a thought.” Tweek nodded, and Kenny excitedly said, “I have an even better idea! I can say something to them.”

Kyle entered the conversation, “I thought you said you had a better idea.” Kenny glared again, but Tweek nodded in agreement. Kenny caught this and frowned at the blond.

“I don’t think that’s going to do any good.” Kenny raised an eyebrow at him, and Tweek tried to formulate the correct words to express what he meant without hurting Kenny’s feelings. The three others watched Tweek as he was lost in thought. Eventually, he hummed and sat up again.

“What’s going on between Tweek and his parents are just between them. It could make matters worse if you came out of nowhere and told them what to do.” Kyle clarified for Tweek.

Kenny protested, “I wouldn’t do that!”

“Kenny, let’s be real.” Stan started, “You have a habit of taking things a little too far.”

“We love you for it.” Kyle added. Tweek nodded in agreement and looked over at Kenny. He was hunched over in defeat with a thoughtful expression on his face. Deep down, he knew that they were right, but he didn’t want to see any of his friends hurting, especially Tweek.

“And I’m sure you remember what happened with Butters.” Cartman interjected. Every boy at the table glared at Cartman. 

“Your timing is impeccable, fat ass.” Kyle said, and Cartman rolled his eyes.

“What? It happened forever ago.”

Kenny shook his head and ignored Cartman. “Regardless, if you do want me to do something, just let me know, okay?”

Kenny turned his body to face Tweek, and the other boy nodded. A small smile graced Kenny’s face, and he squeezed Tweek’s shoulder gently. A pair of people approached their table, and Tweek looked over at them, fidgeting slightly before realizing who they were. Craig and Clyde stood there, holding onto their food trays. Slowly, Kenny’s hand fell from Tweek’s shoulder as Tweek’s attention was taken away from him.

“Hey guys,” Tweek greeted, and Clyde grinned at him. It was a facial expression he was getting used to, but from time to time it still took him by surprise. Tweek was sure Clyde would had waved enthusiastically if his hands weren’t already preoccupied. 

“Hey Tweek! We’re glad we caught you.” Clyde said, stepping closer to the table. Craig rolled his eyes and mimicked Clyde, taking a step forward. Tweek raised his eyebrows. “What are you doing tonight? We’re all going to Token’s to watch movies and order pizzas, and I was wondering if you wanted to come too.” He said in one breath, and Craig nudged him from behind, causing Clyde to flush, but the smiled never faltered. 

Tweek looked towards Kenny for a moment before looking back at the two. Clyde was waiting expectantly for his answer. While Tweek really did want to go, he also wanted to go home and relax. It had been a rough week. On the other hand, it had been a rough week, and it was the weekend. Spending time with them could help him unwind, and he could always just sleep the day away on Saturday or Sunday.

He bit his lip but nodded his head. “Yeah sure, that sounds good.”

Clyde nodded and said just as quickly as before. “Awesome! We can meet outside the school. I’ll go let Token know!”

Clyde nodded his head a little as a goodbye, and hurried his way back to his own lunch table, leaving Craig behind. Craig blinked, watching his friend go, and shook his head just barely. Looking back at Tweek, he hummed and said lowly, “See you later.”

Tweek only nodded in response and watched him walk away for a few moments before looking back at the others at his table. Stan had just wacked Cartman in the arm, and it was apparent that Tweek had missed something. He looked to Kenny to fill him in, but Kenny, too, was confused. Cartman scrunched his face in annoyance as he rubbed his arm. Tweek shook his head, grabbed his travel coffee mug, and drank more.

The end of the school day came sooner than Tweek thought it would, and the four of them were already on their way to Token’s house. Clyde was talking animatedly about the pizza they should order and was working to convince them all that they also needed to order some wings. This lasted the entire car ride there, and when they got out of the car, Craig said, “You’re just obsessed with food.”

Token chuckled as Clyde replied, “It’s a basic human necessity. I think my love for it is justified.”

“You can love it all you want, but we don’t need to know your food plans for the weekend.”

Tweek was laughing now, and Clyde countered, “And we don’t need to know about how Saturn is the least dense planet, but you went on and on about that for a day.”

Craig flushed and flipped him off before heading to the kitchen to walk through it to the backyard. The other three went downstairs, and Token brought Tweek to the movie cabinet. “Clyde always chooses some movie with a lot of explosions, and Craig always chooses those adventure, survivalist movies.” Token informed him. “We have a lot. You can choose the first movie we watch.”

Tweek nodded and scanned through the movies as Clyde and Token finalized their pizza plans. Tweek felt the anxiety bubble in his stomach as he read each movie title. He worried that he’d be made fun of for the movie he chose. He was afraid they wouldn’t invite him for another movie night if he chose the wrong one. Soon his vision blurred as he became lost in his thoughts.

Recognizing the maladaptive thinking patterns, Tweek closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. He tried to remind himself that Token wouldn’t have these movies if he didn’t enjoy them. He tried to calm the twisting in his stomach, and he focused on the DVD’s again. After a few more minutes, he bit his lip and chose a comedy. Taking the movie, I Love You Man, off the shelf, he walked back over to Clyde and Token.

“We’re getting wings and pizza. Is there anything else you want?” Token asked him as he scrolled on his phone to put the order in online. Tweek shook his head, and Craig joined them again. 

Token asked the same question to him, and Craig shrugged and responded, “No, that’s good.” He looked at Tweek. “What movie did you choose?”

For a moment Tweek wondered how Craig even knew he was the one choosing the movie, but then he realized that holding the DVD case was probably a dead giveaway. He held it up for Craig to see, and he nodded in approval. “Haven’t watched that in forever. Good choice.” 

Craig walked over to the couches and took his seat. It was the same spot from when they played video games, and Tweek smiled a bit to himself, having chosen a good movie. He joined Craig, and Clyde followed behind him, sitting in his usual spot. Taking the movie from Tweek, Token put it in, and they started it while waiting for the pizzas.

It was a good movie choice. After the stresses of the week, it seemed like all four boys just needed a good laugh. About forty minutes into the movie, Token paused it to get the pizzas, but the moment everyone had their own food, the movie was right back on.

Clyde was the next one to choose a movie, and like Token had said earlier, he chose a movie with lots of noise and explosions. While Tweek was interested in the movie, he wasn’t engrossed in it like Clyde or Token, and his sleep deprivation began to take a hold of him. As much as he tried to fight it, the combination of dimmed lights and tiredness lulled Tweek to sleep. 

Craig was the first to notice that Tweek had fallen asleep. He didn’t bring attention to it and let the boy sleep. Clyde and Token had the same thoughts since all three boys had observed how tired Tweek was that entire week. If anything, they were happy he wasn’t forcing himself to stay up. When Craig chose a movie, he chose a quieter one with Tweek in mind. 

Later on in the evening, Tweek stirred awake and looked around. The lights in the room were off, but Tweek could see the sleeping forms of Clyde and Token because of the light radiating from the TV screen. He went to roll off the couch, but found himself tangled in a blanket. Confused, he looked down at it before peeling the blanket off him and left it on the couch before making his way upstairs.

The rest of the house was dark as well, and Tweek made his way into the kitchen to get something to drink. From the glow of the stove’s clock, he could see that it was almost 5am. He sipped the water he got himself, and fidgeted when he saw a red glow from outside. Panic set in for a moment before he noticed the blue hat that belonged to Craig and saw he was smoking.

Tweek put the glass of water down onto the counter before making his way outside. Craig turned to look at the door when he heard it open and nodded at Tweek. Tweek flushed and shut the door before joining Craig. He sat down on the bench Craig was seated at and looked at him. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Craig shrugged and looked back up at the sky. “Slept a little, but I woke up.” Tweek nodded and looked up at the sky as well. The sky was littered with stars. He was used to seeing the sky, living in such a small town. He never really stopped to appreciate it.

“You still like the stars?” 

There was silence between the two of them. Tweek wondered if he had interrupted Craig. Maybe Craig came outside to be alone and think. Or maybe he just wanted to embrace the stars by himself. Craig put his cigarette out in the ashtray sitting on the arm of the bench.

“I do…I really do.” Tweek smiled and looked over at him again. Craig was still looking up at the sky. “My mom got me this book a year ago, that shows all the different constellations and when you can see them in the sky. I knew a lot of them already, but it still was really cool to read.”

Tweek nodded. “That is really cool.”

Craig leaned into Tweek and pointed up at the sky. “You see the Big Dipper there?” Tweek looked up at the sky and nodded his head a little. “If you look from the handle of it to over there…” Craig moved his hand, and Tweek’s eyes followed. “You can see Orion.”

Tweek squinted his eyes, trying to see what Craig was describing to him. After a little time, Tweek was finally able to make out what Craig wanted him to see. A small smile began to spread on Tweek’s face as he nodded his head, signifying to Craig that he was finally seeing it.

“It’s named after a hunter in Greek mythology, Orion.”

Tweek looked at Craig. His usually emotionless face was soft with content. Tweek could even see a smile on his lips as he stared up at the sky. Tweek looked back up and just looked at the stars. They were both silent but enjoyed each other’s company. 

Time passed quickly, and Craig was the one who broke the silence, “Tweek?”

Tweek jumped a little, being surprised by the sudden noise, but he looked at Craig. “Yeah?”

Craig looked down at his hands, twisting his fingers together, and sighed. Tweek waited patiently, biting his lip, and Craig finally asked, “Why did you stop talking to us?”

Tweek flushed and fidgeted again. Craig looked over at him. Tweek couldn’t read him. His face held very little emotions, but Tweek could see something on his eyes. He just couldn’t place what it was. He hesitated before he answered, “I don’t…I don’t really know.”

Craig furrowed his eyebrows, his eyes not leaving Tweek. It caused Tweek to move nervously again. “I just…I don’t know.” He repeated, and Craig let out a frustrated sigh. Tweek bit his lip. “I think it was my anxiety.”

Craig raised an eyebrow before dropping his gaze to his own hands. Tweek, too, looked away out into the darkness of the backyard. “It was nothing any of you did. I just felt, like, it was the beginning of high school, and that’s when people figure out more about who they are.” He paused and noticed that Craig was looking at him again, giving Tweek his full attention. “I had convinced myself that you’d all move on from me eventually. I just thought that I’d hurry the process.”

Craig nodded but didn’t respond. Tweek squirmed nervously due to Craig’s gaze still being on him. Finally, Craig broke their eye contact before slowly turning his head to face forward again. Tweek took this as his sign to also look away from Craig. The twisting in his stomach grew worse as the silence prolonged.

In a slow movement, Craig leaned into Tweek and nudged him slightly. “Don’t do that again, okay?”

Tweek jumped slightly and nodded again. The twisting in his stomach settled down, and he let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Tweek nodded. “I won’t.”

From the corner of his eye, he was sure he could see Craig smiling again, but he couldn’t be sure. He looked out at the sky, and hadn’t even noticed that the sun was starting to come up. He was usually up at this point when he had to open the coffee shop. He never watched the sun rise, though. It was always something that just happened without a second thought from him.

“Isn’t the sun rise so…interesting?”

Tweek looked over at him. “What?”

Craig nudged Tweek again, nodding towards the rising sun. Tweek looked out at the sun rise. “As the sun rises, it’s because the Earth is rotating. The sun isn’t the one moving. We are. We’re on a planet that revolves around this giant star. It’s just…so crazy.”

Tweek laughed softly and nodded. They both sat and watched the sun rise. It was something that happened every day, but Tweek took the time to truly enjoy it this time. He was with a friend. He wasn’t alone inside his room, unable to sleep, and he wasn’t alone behind the coffee shop’s counter. He was relaxed, rested, and happy.

Craig clapped Tweek’s shoulder and stood up from the bench. He stretched before looking down at Tweek. “We should go back inside.”

Tweek agreed and stood up, following Craig back into the house. The moment he was inside, the scent of freshly brewed coffee over took his sense of smell, and he looked towards the coffee machine. Token was standing there, just finishing preparing himself a cup of coffee. Token turned to look at the two. “How long have you been up?”

Craig shrugged and opened the fridge, digging through it. “A few hours. We watched the sun rise.”

Token nodded and offered coffee to Tweek, who eagerly poured himself a cup. Token sat at the island in the middle of the kitchen and took a sip of his coffee. Craig helped himself to leftover pizza and joined Token. “I can’t believe you forced Tweek to watch the sun rise.”

Craig rolled his eyes, and Tweek said in defense, “I wanted to watch it. I never really pay attention to it enough.”

“Aren’t you usually sleeping when the sun comes up?” Token asked, and Tweek shook his head.

“I’m usually working.”

“At Tweek Bros, right?” Craig asked, and Tweek nodded. “You must be making some serious bank.”

Tweek only shrugged a little as Token rolled his eyes. Clyde tiredly walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. Before anyone could comment on his zombie-like state, he said, “Someone’s phone has been going off.”

He held up Tweek’s phone, and Tweek apologized as he grabbed it. Clyde chuckled and stole some of Craig’s pizza, earning a shove away from the food. Tweek looked through the messages on his phone, seeing that his father had been trying to get a hold of him. He bit his lip and quickly texted his father back before looking at his three friends. 

“Are you busy today, Tweek?” Clyde asked. 

Tweek sighed and nodded. “Yeah, I actually have to go. My dad wants me to come in and work.”

Clyde frowned a little and nodded. “That’s too bad. I can give you a ride if you need one.”

Tweek quickly shook his head. “N-No, I’m fine. Thanks though.”

Clyde slowly nodded his head again, tempted to force Tweek into giving him a ride. He went up to Tweek and hugged him tightly. “Thanks for spending the night with us.” 

The hug threw Tweek off, but he hugged back, and Craig laughed. “You can’t just go around hugging people, moron.”

Clyde huffed, “Oh, whatever.” He pulled back from Tweek and mumbled, smiling sheepishly at him. “Sorry.”

A slight blush came to Tweek’s cheeks, but he chuckled softly. “It’s okay.” He then looked at Token and Craig before looking back at Clyde. “Thanks for inviting me, you guys.”

They nodded and Token walked Tweek to the door after Tweek had collected all his things. After leaving Token’s house, he walked directly to Tweek Bros as fast as he could. He could tell from the messages that his father wasn’t happy with him. 

There was a crowd in the coffee shop, and when Tweek walked inside, his eyes caught his fathers. Richard Tweek’s eyes narrowed just slightly before he continued making the ordered beverages. Tweek kept his head down and went to the backroom to get ready. Once he was done, he took his usual spot at the register, getting to work.


	4. Chapter Four

He had waited until the very last possible moment to get out of bed. Clothing that he had changed out of the night before were haphazardly thrown onto the floor, and Tweek tripped over a pair of pants as he made his way to his bedroom door. He let out a loud yelp and caught himself against the doorframe. Looking down at the clothes, he glared but then looked around at the rest of his room. It really needed to be cleaned, and he made a mental note to try and get that done some time this week.

Tweek hurried, getting ready for school, and as he was finishing up, he heard a pounding on his front door. He frowned to himself and looked out into the hallway of the upstairs of his house. He was the only one home, and it made him feel more anxious, not expecting a visitor. After checking his appearance one last time, he grabbed his backpack and headed downstairs. The knocking has stopped for a brief moment, and Tweek was able to slip on his shoes before it started again.

He swung the door open, and Kenny stood on his doorstep, grinning widely. Tweek stared at him blankly before shaking his head a little and stepping outside. He shut and locked the door behind him. “Well, good morning to you too, cranky.”

Tweek rolled his eyes but gave Kenny a genuine smile. “You’re not usually around here before school.”

The two began walking, and Kenny nodded. “I know. I had to stop somewhere nearby, so I thought I’d come see if you were home to walk to school.”

Tweek looked at Kenny as they walked, “Well, thanks for coming by. It’s nice to not walk to school alone.”

Kenny chuckled and they continued on their way, talking about their week so far and the plans they had for the weekend. Tweek was pretty sure that he would have to work the entire weekend. Especially since he hadn’t worked the previous Friday night. His father hadn’t been happy about it, and he had gotten a scolding about it.

_”Tweek, this is a job. You can’t decide that you’re not going to work one day.” His father reminded him the moment he had a chance. They were both in the backroom. Tweek was getting extra bags of coffee to bring to the front, and he didn’t know what prompted his father to be back there. It was probably so he could talk to Tweek._

_“I didn’t know I was supposed to work last night.” Tweek told him honestly. He held tightly onto the bags of coffee and looked at his dad, fidgeting a little. His father rolled his eyes and gave him a disapproving look._

_“You work every Friday night.” Tweek gave him a confused look. This wasn’t something that they had discussed. After a moment of silence, he nodded. Tweek agreed with his father and apologized. He only wanted this discussion to be over. “We’re relying on you to help us out. We’ve done nothing but make sure you have everything you need in life. The least you can do now is help us out.” Tweek nodded. “And if you think it’s not important enough, we’ll remember that the next time you need something for school or need new clothes.”_

_Tweek only nodded again, waiting for his father’s talking to be over._

They were nearing the school when Clyde ran up to them. “Guys! Hey!”

Both Tweek and Kenny turned to look at Clyde. Tweek smiled warmly as Kenny greeted him with a nod. Clyde stood on the other side of Tweek, and walked with them. Kenny shoved his hands into his jacket’s pockets, and Tweek could have sworn he felt the energy around him change. Shrugging it off, he looked towards Clyde. “Don’t you usually drive to school?”

Clyde nodded and chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. “Well, yeah, but my dad wanted to take my car in to get the brake pads changed? I don’t know. It’s car speak that I haven’t really acquired yet.”

Tweek nodded slowly, not really knowing what Clyde was talking about either, but he enjoyed the added company. “Sucks that he couldn’t have decided to do it on the weekend or something.”

Clyde agreed, “Yeah, I know! It’s a total bummer, but I can’t do anything about it. He is going to pay for it. So, I can’t complain much.”

The three of them walked into the school. Usually Clyde met up with Craig and Token outside the school, so he was confused when he didn’t this time. Tweek didn’t say anything, and headed to his locker per usual. Kenny went to his own locker, and it left Clyde and Tweek alone. Clyde watched Kenny walk away before looking back at Tweek. “He doesn’t like me very much, does he?”

Tweek opened his locker but looked over at Clyde. Even though there was a smile on his face, Tweek could see the sadness behind it. Tweek shook his head and grabbed a few things from his locker. “How can anyone not like you, Clyde?” He looked at him and shut his locker. “You’re nice to everyone.”

Clyde smiled sheepishly and shrugged. He continued to follow Tweek as he walked to his first class. “Regardless, it takes a little while for Kenny to warm up to people.”

Clyde nodded again as they reached the outside of Tweek’s first period. He gave Clyde a small smile, and Clyde returned it. Before he could say anything else, Kenny hooked his arm with Tweek’s and dragged him into the class. Tweek let out a yelp but waved goodbye to Clyde. The latter just waved back and chuckled before making his way to his own class.

Tweek sat down at his desk, took out his notebook, and then looked at Kenny, raising both eyebrows. Kenny just gave him an innocent grin, and Tweek took a sip of his coffee. There was silence between the two, and finally, Tweek cleared his throat and said, “Is something wrong?”

Kenny shook his head and looked at him, perplexed. Tweek knew better than that. Kenny could fake confusion all he wanted, but he could see right through it. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked down at his notebook. Kenny didn’t get a chance to say anything before the class started, and both boys were forced to pay attention, or at least pretend like they were.

Tweek scribbled in his notebook, and Kenny assumed that he was taking notes. Kenny wasn’t that dedicated in the class. He did well in it, but he was sure if he applied himself just a little more he’d do better. Even if he wanted to focus, he couldn’t. His attention was on Tweek, and the boy probably knew it. Every now and then he would glance at Kenny from the corner of his eyes and then squirm slightly.

Neither boy said anything to the other as the class ended and they went their separate ways. Tweek wasn’t intentionally avoiding talking to Kenny. He was just stuck in his head, and he hadn’t even realized it until he was at his next class. He sat in his seat and bit his lip, nearly falling deep into thought again until he felt a pat on the top of his head. He let out a noise and looked up, seeing Craig smirking at him before walking to the back of the room and taking his seat. 

He had completely forgotten that Craig was in some of his classes. Tweek tended to zone out and forget exactly who surrounded him in class. To be fair, Craig sat all the way in the back and didn’t say anything unless he was forced to. 

The class went by like normal, but when it was over, Craig waited for Tweek to walk with him out of the class. “You seemed a little surprised to see me.” 

Tweek laughed a little nervously, “Yeah…wasn’t expecting someone to touch me.”

Craig joined in on his laughter and nodded. “Fair enough.”

Craig stopped at his locker, and Tweek hesitated before stopping too. “How’s your day going?”

Craig hummed, grabbing a book. “Well, it’s only third period, so slow, but better, since I’m talking to you.” Tweek felt his cheeks flush, and he stared at Craig. Slowly looking over at Tweek, Craig chuckled. “I don’t usually get to talk to anyone I actually like.”

Tweek nodded, and they continued their way to their classes. “It is nice talking to you.”

Craig stopped outside a classroom and turned his body to face Tweek. Craig gave Tweek a small smile as Tweek’s eyes widened just slightly, and he returned the smile. “I’ll see you later?” 

Tweek nodded quickly, and Craig’s smile didn’t falter as he walked into class. Tweek stood there for a few moments before scurrying off to get to his own class. He rushed in and sat in his normal seat. A few eyes followed his form, but he was too lost in his head to worry or care. He took out his notebook like usual, but for the first time in a while, he couldn’t focus on class to take notes. 

It was lunch time now, and Tweek made it to his locker to put his things away. He grabbed a book that was for his class after lunch and put it into his bag before putting his bag on the ground. Tweek shuffled through his locker a bit more before shutting his locker. He jumped in fright when he saw Craig standing next to him. 

Craig raised an eyebrow and chuckled. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Tweek felt his heart rate return to normal, and he stared at Craig. “You could have said something. A simple hello is how most people greet another person.”

Craig hummed and shrugged. “I’m not like them, though.”

Tweek nodded a little and went to grab his bag, but Craig picked it up for him instead. “I’ve noticed.”

Craig chuckled lowly, and they both walked to the cafeteria, Craig carrying Tweek’s backpack. Tweek was brought out of his head when he was around Craig. He never knew what he was going to do. It was refreshing. Not a lot of people were able to make it so Tweek wasn’t stuck overthinking. They walked into the cafeteria, and Craig grabbed onto Tweek’s arm to stop him from colliding into another student.

Tweek flushed and looked up at him. He thanked him quietly, and began walking to his table. He noticed that Craig was walking to his usual table, and Tweek cleared his throat to get his attention. “Uh, Craig.” Craig turned his head to look at Tweek. “I sit with Kenny, remember?” Realization spread across Craig’s features, and he nodded a little. There was a slight frown on his face, but Tweek didn’t want to ask about it. Craig walked Tweek to his usual lunch table and gently put his bag on the table. 

“See you later.” He said, and as Tweek nodded, Craig turned to go back to his table. Tweek watched him for a few moments before sitting down. 

Kenny was intrigued, “Everything okay?” Tweek nodded and took his lunch from his bag. Tweek was about to ask him the same question, remembering how Kenny was earlier, but Kenny was the one to speak first. “Are you working tonight?” Tweek nodded again. Kenny could tell he was preoccupied even if he was answering his questions. Kenny watched him eat his lunch for a few moments before beginning to dig into his own food.

Tweek headed straight to Tweek Bros once school was over. He knew it would only be problematic if he were to show up later than he’s expected. He walked into the shop. There were a few people seated at tables, and he could see the person he was replacing perk up when he walked in. He went straight to the back room to put his stuff down and get his apron on. Tweek had barely stepped out from the back room when his coworker said a quick goodbye and left the place. He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and took his place behind the register. He wasn’t expecting many people. They didn’t get a lot of foot traffic during the early evening.

Soon the people who were in the shop when Tweek arrived left, and Tweek went over to clean up the tables. He heard the door open, and he spun around, coming face to face with Kenny. Tweek smiled at him, and Kenny returned the smile.

“You don’t seem to be too busy.” Kenny observed and followed Tweek to the register and leaned against the counter. 

Tweek laughed, “Yeah, not at all.” Tweek grabbed a cup. “Can I get you something?”

Kenny chuckled, “Such a great employee.” Tweek rolled his eyes and gave Kenny a pointed look. “My usual.”

Tweek nodded and started making Kenny’s coffee. Tweek hummed a song to himself, and Kenny watched him for a few moments before sitting down at the table near the register. Tweek brought it out to him and sat down opposite Kenny. He looked out the window. “It looks like it’s going to snow.”

Kenny grimaced before taking a sip of his coffee. Tweek chuckled and looked at him. “It’s not even Halloween yet. Can we not talk about it?” Kenny finally answered.

Tweek shrugged and looked back outside. “I suppose. When it starts snowing regularly, more customers come in, and then it’ll be guaranteed that I’ll get no days off.” 

Kenny sighed, “You really should say something.”

“Even if I did say something, what could I possibly say? I’ve told you what my dad has said before, and I don’t think there’s any actual way to convince him otherwise.”

Kenny sighed again and nodded. He drank more of his coffee, and looked out the window. It wasn’t very late, but the sun was already beginning to set. “What if you got a different job?”

Tweek shook his head. “They’d still make me work here when I wasn’t scheduled at the other place.”

Kenny groaned and sat back in his seat. Tweek smiled sadly at him, and the bell over the shop’s door rang out, signifying that someone else had entered the place. Both Kenny and Tweek looked at the door, seeing Clyde and Craig walk in. Craig glanced around, not being a frequent customer. Clyde, on the other hand, walked in with a grin and saw Tweek instantly. 

“Hey! Token’s at band practice, and we decided to see if you were working.”

Tweek stood up, flushing. “I almost always am.” He walked over to the register and grabbed a cup. “Your usual, Clyde?”

Clyde smiled, embarrassed, and nodded. Craig soon joined Clyde at the register, and Tweek looked at him. He hummed before looking at Tweek. “I don’t know what to get.” Clyde rolled his eyes and elbowed him. Craig shot him a glare before looking back at the menu. “I…uh…I’ll get a caramel ma…chi…ahto?”

Tweek bit his lip and held back a laugh. He wasn’t going to correct Craig, but Clyde didn’t even hesitate. “Dumbass, it’s macchiato.”

Tweek didn’t even need to see the glare that Craig sent to Clyde. He could just feel it. Tweek began making their drinks. “How was I supposed to know that? I don’t fucking speak coffee.”

Tweek and Clyde both laughed, and Tweek brought Clyde his drink. He looked at Craig, a grin on his face. Craig looked at him and flushed. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“To be fair, you’re not the only person who mispronounces it.” He turned away and went to finish up Craig’s drink. 

“Well, I won’t next time!”

Tweek returned with Craig’s drink and handed it to him. “I believe that.” Craig raised an eyebrow. “After all the shit Clyde’s going to give you for getting it wrong, you’d be a moron to mess it up again.”

Clyde laughed again, and Tweek could hear Kenny laughed just a little. Clyde took out his wallet, “How much do we owe you?” 

Tweek shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.”

Craig raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?” Tweek nodded, and Craig looked back at the menu for a few moments. He hummed and took out his own wallet, pulling money from it, and put it in the tip jar. Clyde did the same thing, and Tweek flushed darkly. 

“Thanks guys.” Clyde smiled at him widely, and he and Craig went to sit down at the same table as Kenny. Tweek made another coffee for Kenny and brought it to him, sitting back down. Kenny smiled at him warmly before taking a sip from his fresh cup.

“How long have you been here?” Clyde asked Kenny. 

He shrugged and answered, “Just a little while.” Clyde nodded as Craig watched him carefully. Kenny picked up on it and continued, “This place can be pretty dead at night. So I like giving Tweek some company.”

Tweek smiled at him briefly and then looked away. Tweek shifted in his seat, and Clyde said, “We could do that too! I’m not usually doing anything after school when I’m not working, and Craig doesn’t do anything because he’s boring.”

“Hey!” Clyde grinned at him, but Craig only glared, taking another sip of his coffee. He put the cup down and said, “I could be having loads of fun without you. You’re not there. You don’t know.”

“Spending time with your guinea pig doesn’t count.”

Craig scoffed, “I’m going to tell Racer you said that.”

Tweek raised his eyebrows, “Racer? As in, Red Racer?” Craig looked at him and nodded. 

Tweek smiled, and Kenny opened his mouth to change the subject, but Craig asked quickly, “Hey, what are you doing this weekend?”

Kenny’s eyebrows furrowed, and Tweek looked at Craig, eyes widened. “I…uh, nothing. I think?”

“You think?” Craig questioned, and Tweek nodded. “Well, I was wondering if you wanted to come over this weekend.”

Kenny looked over to watch Tweek react, and Tweek hesitated before nodding a little. “Y-Yeah, sure.”

Craig smiled and nodded. He looked over at Clyde, who was smiling as well. Tweek felt his cheeks warm, and he broke eye contact, looking down at his hands. A cellphone went off, and Tweek looked up, seeing Clyde answer his phone. He got up and excused him, going outside.

Craig took another sip of his coffee before saying, “You did a really good job making this.”

Tweek looked over at smiled, “Thanks Craig. It’s become second nature now.”

Kenny added, “You made great coffee drinks before you even began working here regularly.”

Tweek blushed from the sudden attention, and didn’t notice the stare down that Kenny was having with Craig. Their eye contact broke when Tweek cleared his throat and said, “The coffee here isn’t much different from coffee elsewhere. It’s just how a person prepares it. Many people don’t know that it’s more than adding coffee grounds into a filter and pouring hot water over it.” Tweek shrugged a little. “Thanks though.”

The two boys smiled at Tweek, and Clyde came back into the shop. “Hey Craig, we need to go pick Token up.” Craig nodded and stood up. “Thanks for the coffee, Tweek. We’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Tweek smiled at Clyde as Craig squeezed Tweek’s shoulder gently. “Thanks for the coffee.” 

Tweek nodded at him and watched the two leave. He looked back at Kenny. Kenny’s face held a look of amusement, but it looked like he was forcing the look. Tweek looked at him questioningly, but Kenny only said, “There seems to be something there.”

Tweek’s eyes widened, “What?”

Kenny shrugged and finished his coffee. “Maybe I’m just seeing things, but I don’t recall Craig being so…soft with anyone else.” Tweek continued to give him a disbelieving look. “Come on, you’ve seen him roughhouse with Token and Clyde, and yet, he doesn’t with you?”

Tweek rolled his eyes. “You’re imagining things.” He got up and picked up the trash to throw it out. Kenny didn’t say anything but watched Tweek’s movements. “Besides, he’s been friends with Clyde and Token since elementary. We just started hanging out again.” He returned to his spot behind the counter, and Kenny stood up, leaning against the counter.

“Maybe you’re right.”

Tweek hummed, “I usually am.”

Kenny rolled his eyes, and Tweek smiled at him. Kenny asked, “What?” 

“Nothing,” Tweek answered as he shook his head. “Thank you for coming by tonight. I really appreciate it.”

Kenny smiled. “I like hanging out.” Tweek nodded. “Next time, I should probably work on homework so we can do it together.”

Tweek shrugged, “That’s not a bad idea.”

Kenny nodded eagerly, “Then you could sleep more at night. Heaven knows you need it.”

Tweek chuckled and smiled at him again. “Jeez Kenny, stop being so thoughtful. Some might think the world is ending.”

“Hey! I’m nice.” Kenny defended himself.

Tweek laughed and nodded, “You are. To your friends, you’re selfless. It’s really admirable.”

It was Kenny’s turn to blush, and he was thankful when his phone went off. He looked down at it and sighed. “I need to get going. My parents are going out, and they want me to be home for Karen.”

Tweek nodded and moved to get something from the back room. Kenny watched him quizzically and waited for him to come back out. Tweek emerged with a bag in his hand, and he gave it to Kenny. He looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and Tweek said, “Left over pastries. We usually throw them out, but I know you and Karen would enjoy them more than the rats.”

Kenny smiled at him gratefully. “Thank you so much, Tweek.”

Tweek beamed and nodded, “You’re welcome.”

Kenny headed out into the darkness, going home. Tweek sighed and sat on the stool that was kept behind the counter. Not many people came into the shop. There were a few stragglers, and most of them just wanted a hot chocolate, which wasn’t difficult or time consuming to make. Time passed slowly once he was alone.

Finally, it was time to close the shop, and he could finish and leave the place within ten minutes of the shop’s closing because of the lack of business. He walked home in the bitter cold. As Fall progressed closer to Winter, it was getting colder and colder at night. Tweek knew he was going to need to invest in a jacket, but that was an expense he didn’t want to think about.

As Tweek approached his house, he could see that most of the lights were off, but one. Usually his parents were asleep for the night by the time he got home, but tonight was different. He let himself into the house, and saw that the light to the kitchen was on. He hesitated, worried that it was his father who was up. The gentle sound of a glass being put into the sink signified that it wasn’t his father. Nothing about his father was gentle.

Tweek let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and went into the kitchen, seeing his mother. She looked over at him and smiled just barely. “Welcome home, Tweek. Get something to eat and head to bed. You need to be up early.”

Tweek nodded, “Hey mom?” She looked at him expectantly, and Tweek asked, “Can I have the weekend off? A friend from school invited me to hang out, and I wanted to.”

His mother frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. Tweek flinched, figuring it was the wrong time to ask her. He braced himself for the worst, but instead she answered, “I suppose that’s fine. Just don’t tell your father why you’re not working.” Tweek nodded, and she walked past him to leave the kitchen. “You know how he is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all!  
> Thank you so much to the people who have left comments. They mean the world to me, and I adore them.  
> I'm sorry for taking so long to get this out. I was hoping to get it out yesterday, but I've been sick, and I couldn't focus on writing.  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter!


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Drug Use

It was nearing the end of Spanish, and that meant that school was almost over. Tweek jerked in his seat just thinking about it. It was Friday afternoon, and he was going to Craig’s house for the night. It would just be him, Clyde, and Craig. Token had band practice that night, and a doctor’s appointment in the morning. It was really a bummer, but they were planning on meeting up with him once his doctor appointment was over.

Tweek was thankful that is wasn’t going to just be him and Craig. At first, he didn’t think it would be, but Kenny put the idea in his head. Kenny put a lot of thoughts about Craig into his head, and it had his mind running a marathon. He had been distracted for most of the week, and nearly everyone had noticed. Only a few said anything, and those people were Craig, Kenny, and Clyde. While Craig and Clyde seemed concerned when they asked, Kenny held a look of knowing and amusement. 

Nothing about the situation was funny. As much as Tweek tried to ignore the comments Kenny had said, he couldn’t help but over evaluate every action that Craig made. ‘Why did he care what Kenny said?’ he would ask himself, but he never came to an answer. He just did. 

Soon the school bell rang, and Tweek grabbed his things before leaving the classroom. Token was by his side as they walked to Tweek’s locker together. “Now, don’t you three get into too much trouble without me.” He joked.

Tweek rolled his eyes and looked at Token. “Okay mom.” 

Token look at him, faking offense before laughing. “They got to you too!”

Tweek shook his head and exchanged the books in his hands for other books within his locker and put them in his backpack. He shut his locker and looked back at Token. “Just for that, you’re the first person we call if we get arrested, _Mom._ ”

Even though it was a joke, Tweek felt anxiety twist in his stomach from just the thought. He couldn’t imagine them doing anything that would get them arrested, so he inconspicuously took a deep breath to calm the anxiety down. Token shook his head. “You better fucking not.”

Tweek laughed, “And we’ll call you again if you don’t answer the first time.”

Token shook his head, “I wouldn’t waste your calls.”

Tweek grinned at him as they began walking again, “You wouldn’t ignore us.”

Token groaned and rolled his eyes, “You might be right, but don’t let them know that.”

They both stopped when they were outside the band room and faced each other. Tweek hummed and looked thoughtful. “I’ll think about it.” Token laughed and clapped Tweek on the back before saying goodbye and heading inside the room. 

Tweek then left to head outside. Craig and Clyde were going to be waiting for him outside the school. When he got out there, it was only Craig waiting. Tweek approached him, and before he could ask anything, Craig had said, “Clyde’s getting his car. He complained that it was cold and wanted to warm it up.”

Tweek chuckled, shaking his head. “What’s he going to do when it’s really winter?”

Craig shrugged. “Die.” Tweek laughed again, and Craig had a small smile on his face. They both headed towards Clyde’s car. “You weren’t at lunch.”

Tweek looked over at Craig and tilted his head a little before looking forward again. “I was in the library. I wanted to get homework done so I didn’t have to worry about it as much this weekend.”

Craig nodded and said, “McCormick seemed a little lost without you.”

“What? Really?”

Craig shrugged as they neared Clyde’s car. Clyde had seen them and honked the car horn in attempt to scare them. Tweek jumped from the noise, and Craig gently put a hand on his upper back to comfort him. “It’s just what it seemed like. I don’t know.”

Tweek looked at Craig and nodded a little. He got into Clyde’s car, getting into the backseat to let Craig sit shotgun this time. Guilt flooded through him as he thought about Kenny. He knew that Tweek was spending Friday and Saturday with Craig and the guys. But, he thought that maybe he should have made an effort to see him before then. 

He hadn’t really let Kenny know he wasn’t going to be at lunch, and he felt bad about it. They had texted during school, so it wasn’t as if he hadn’t talked to him at all. Tweek then wondered why he felt guilty like this in the first place. He looked toward Craig, noticing a softness in his features even if he was glaring at Clyde.

“Isn’t that right, Tweek?” 

Tweek was dragged back into reality, and his eyes widened when he realized he had zoned out, staring at Craig. He was looking back at Tweek, an eyebrow raised. A dark blush came across Tweek’s cheeks, and he looked over at Clyde. “What?”

Clyde repeated, “Isn’t that right?”

Craig looked at Clyde and rolled his eyes. Tweek still had absolutely no idea what Clyde was going on about, so he just answered, “Sure.”

Clyde seemed to grin victoriously as he pulled into Craig’s driveway. Craig flipped Clyde off before hopping out of the car. Tweek followed, looking at Craig’s house. It was familiar. He did walk past it every day when walking to school. This was different than walking past it though. This time, he would be going inside. Every time they hung out, they went to Token’s house or walked around downtown South Park. Tweek felt a little nervous and walked to the front door, following Craig and Clyde. Once they were inside, Tweek looked around. It was exactly how he remembered it. 

Seeing a picture of Craig from elementary school brought a smile to his face. Craig said out loud, “Let’s go down to the basement. I finally finished setting up the sound system for the TV.”

“Finally, you only said you were going to do it months ago.” 

Craig rolled his eyes. “It took some time, and school kept me busy.”

“Are your parents’ home?” Tweek asked randomly, and both Craig and Clyde looked at him. Craig shook his head and opened the door to the basement.

“Not until later.” Tweek nodded and followed them down into the basement. He remembered the basement being a place for storage. There were always boxes and miscellaneous things around. It was always a mess. It wasn’t the same. It was carpeted now, and the walls had been redone. There was a large screen TV against the wall, love seat, and two reclining chairs. 

Clyde plopped down on one of the chairs, and Tweek decided to sit in the other, leaving the love seat for Craig. He had gone back upstairs, and Clyde fiddled with the remote, turning on the TV and flipped through the channels. Soon, Craig came back down with bags of chips and drinks for them. He put them on the coffee table, and Clyde instantly grabbed a bag of Doritos, tearing it open, and grabbed a handful.

Craig rolled his eyes and sat on the love seat. “Tweek, we have a question for you.”

Tweek looked over at them, raising his eyebrows. Craig seemed a little nervous, and Clyde sat forward in the chair. Craig broke eye contact with Tweek to look over at Clyde, and Clyde cleared his throat, putting the bag down. “Have you smoked pot?”

Tweek’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. Craig looked back over at him. He was going to say something, but Tweek spoke quickly, “I haven’t, but I’ve been around Kenny when he has.”

Craig and Clyde nodded slowly. Craig asked, “Do you want to try?”

Tweek thought for a second and shook his head. Kenny always asked the same question whenever he hung around Kenny when he smoked. While it intrigued Tweek, he didn’t take Kenny up on his offer. He found it more amusing to see how Kenny acted when he was high.

Tweek flushed, noticing that they were still looking at him. “I don’t care if you do, though. It doesn’t bother me.”

Craig nodded again and stood up. He shuffled through some things before grabbing what looked like a large book. Tweek furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at it. He sat down, putting the book on the table. Across the cover were the words, ‘Holy Bible’. Tweek looked back at Craig, and he chuckled. “This is my holy book.” He opened the cover and exposed that it was just a box disguised as a book. Tweek rolled his eyes as Craig took out the pipe and bag of weed he had. He looked back at Tweek. “Are you sure this isn’t going to bother you?”

Tweek nodded, “Really, it’s fine.”

Clyde butted in, “We don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Tweek gave them both a look, and Craig chuckled lowly. He said something quietly under his breath and then put some of the weed into grinder before transferring it to the pipe. Tweek watched with interest as he packed the pipe before holding it to his lips, lighting it, and inhaling. After a few moments, he exhaled and passed it to Clyde, who took it excitedly. Tweek chuckled, shaking his head a little at them.

“We should watch a movie or something.” Craig said and grabbed the remote. “I don’t have the DVD player hooked up down here yet, so we’ll have to watch something that’s On Demand.”

Craig leaned over to give Tweek the remote before taking the pipe back from Clyde. They continued to pass it back and forth as Tweek looked at the movies that were On Demand. He hummed a little to himself, reading each movie title. He had a thought to pick something that might be a little weird. Craig and Clyde were getting high, after all. It would be funny to see them freak a little at a weird movie.

Tweek glanced over at them and smiled to himself as he turned on the film Across the Universe. It was a musical, and it was set in the 60’s. It was the only thing that he could think of off the top of his head, and it happened to be available. He worried that one of them would comment on it being a musical, but neither of them did. Soon the pipe was dead, and Craig had put everything away before sitting back on the couch.

Both Craig and Clyde stared at the TV, and it wasn’t until about the middle of the movie when the psychedelic scenes began, and Clyde was the first to comment. “Dude, this shit is trippy.”

Tweek chuckled and looked over at him. Clyde’s eyes were wide, and he was hugging a pillow to his chest. Tweek shook his head a little and looked over at Craig. He bit his lip a little, watching Craig for a few moments as he quizzically stared at the TV screen. “You’re seeing these colors too, right Tweek?”

Tweek chuckled again, “Yes Craig.”

“How did they suddenly get here?” Clyde asked.

“Where did they acquire the skills to do this under water?” Craig asked.

“Where the hell are they?” Clyde asked again. 

Tweek wasn’t even watching the movie anymore. He was looking back and forth between the two. His plan had worked, and the two boys were just asking a stream of questions until the end of the film. Once it was over, Tweek took the remote and turned it off, and Craig turned on one of the standing lights in the room. 

“Tweek, what did we just watch?” Clyde asked, grabbing the same bag of Doritos from earlier, and started eating them again.

“A musical involving the popular music of the Beatles.”

“Well no shit.” Craig said, sitting back down, and smiled at him. “I think you did that on purpose.”

Tweek looked at him innocently but smiled. Clyde had gotten up and sat on the other side of Craig, now in the middle of Craig and Tweek. Craig rolled his eyes and sat back in his spot, picking up the remote to choose something. “Tweek, your hair is very soft and fluffy.” Clyde said, patting the top of his head. Tweek fidgeted a little from the contact, but didn’t move away.

Craig looked at them from the corner of his eyes briefly and then looked back at the TV screen. Tweek raised in eyebrows. “I just use hair conditioner.”

Clyde raised an eyebrow. “Conditioner? I just use the two in one.”

Tweek laughed, “You know you can’t really have shampoo and conditioner in the same product? They do two completely different things.”

Clyde stared at him and blinked. “I guess that’s true. Wow, you’re smart. Craig, he’s smart.” He turned to look at Craig and pointed at Tweek before looking back at Tweek. “You might be just as smart as Token.”

Tweek quickly shook his head. “I can assure you that I’m not.”

Craig hummed, putting the controller down once he chose to just watch reruns of Red Racer. “You’re smarter than you think.” He looked at Clyde. “Clyde, give him some space, Jesus. And get your hand out of his hair.”

Clyde’s eyes went wide when he realized he was still touching Tweek’s hair. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” He got up and went back to his seat. Craig rolled his eyes and grabbed a bag of chips for himself. 

Tweek laughed, “It’s okay Clyde.”

Clyde nodded and said slowly, “You…have to tell me….what you use.”

Tweek nodded just a bit, “Yeah, no problem.”

Craig threw a chip at Clyde. “Shut up and watch TV.” Clyde pouted and grabbed his pillow from before and stared at the TV.

“Fucking Red Racer again?” Craig threw another chip at him, and he shut up.

The three of them watched the cartoon. Craig seemed to be more invested in watching it than the other two. Tweek remembered how passionate Craig was about this show. He would never miss an episode. They had stopped making the show years ago, but it was apparent that it was still something Craig enjoyed thoroughly. 

A soft snore came from across the room, and Tweek looked over. Craig had too, and they both saw that Clyde had fallen asleep. Tweek laughed a little and looked at Craig, who looked back at him. “Is he always the first one to fall asleep?”

Craig hummed, “When we smoke? Yeah.”

Tweek looked back at the TV. The room was silent once again, but from the corner of his eyes, Tweek could see that Craig was staring at his hands, in thought. Tweek looked over at Craig. “Is everything okay?”

Craig looked up at him. “Yeah, I’m just thinking.” He looked down again. “You really hang out with McCormick and just watch him get stoned?”

Tweek shrugged a little. “Yeah, his parents will go out for a while, and it’s the only time he gets a chance.” 

Craig nodded, understanding that. He then waved his hand around a little, and Tweek waited for him to say something. His hand paused mid-air, and he finally asked, “And it doesn’t bother you, being around all this? Since you don’t smoke or anything?”

Tweek shook his head, “No, really Craig, it’s fine.” Craig nodded and looked at Tweek. “Why do you smoke?”

Craig tilted his head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Tweek’s cheeks reddened as he stared at Craig. “I…well…I mean,” He paused. “Do you have a reason? Some people have reasons. Some just want to do it.”

Craig nodded and looked down again, unable to keep eye contact with Tweek. “Well, I do it because of my anxiety.”

That wasn’t something Tweek was expecting. He bit his lip and adjusted how he was sitting to face Craig. “You have anxiety?”

Craig nodded a little and looked up at him. “I internalize it a lot.” He mumbled, and Tweek nodded. “I don’t like talking about it.”

Tweek nodded. He understood that. He had been dealing with his own anxiety problems since he was a child. As he grew older, he found better, healthier ways to manage it. So now, it wasn’t so bad. He still had his bad days, but they were few and far between. But still, when his anxiety was bad, he didn’t like talking about it. There was a negative stigma surrounding it, which was wrong, but that’s how society was. He wondered how long Craig had dealt with this. He wondered how long Craig was suffering because he didn’t talk about it. 

“Talking about it helps sometimes.” Tweek told him, and Craig just stared at him. “But I understand why you don’t want to.”

Craig hummed, “That’s why I smoke. It calms me down. I feel better. Just like how you play piano or color.” Tweek flushed, wondering why Craig remembered that. 'It's because we're friends.' He told himself. Craig bit his lip. “Sure, you’ve found better methods than me.”

Tweek cut Craig off, “This isn’t that bad.” Craig raised an eyebrow. “You could be doing a lot worse things. This really isn’t bad at all.”

Craig nodded again and watched Tweek for a few moments. It didn’t make Tweek uncomfortable, but he nervously shifted anyways. Craig had that look in his eye. He was deep in thought. Tweek didn’t say anything, he didn’t want to interrupt it. “Are you sure you don’t want to try it?”

Tweek’s eyes widened as he stared at Craig. “What?”

“Maybe it could help you too.” Tweek stared at him. “You can say no.”

Tweek fidgeted and looked down. “I don’t know.” Craig perked up, keeping his eyes on Tweek. “It’s not that I have anything against it. I just know my dad would be so mad, and I really…don’t know how…”

Craig hummed softly, “I could always shotgun it to you.” Tweek let out a noise and looked up. “It wouldn’t be as potent as if you smoked from the pipe, but you’ll get enough to feel some of the effects and decide if you like it.”

Tweek stared at him for a few moments. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. While he was afraid of his dad finding out, he wouldn’t see his dad until the next night, and there’s no way he would know by then. He had always been curious, and the way Craig had suggested he try it seemed much more enticing than taking a hit off Kenny’s blunt. He wasn’t sure why, but slowly, Tweek nodded his head. 

Craig smiled again and got up, grabbing the box once more. Quietly he packed the bowl of the pipe. Tweek observed that it was less pot than before. He watched every movement that Craig made. His stomach twisted with nerves. Craig brought the pipe to his lips and lit it, inhaling deeply. After a few moments, he exhaled and looked at Tweek. “Are you sure?”

Tweek look from the pipe to Craig and nodded. Craig seemed to hesitate before nodding at Tweek's answer. He explained to Tweek how to cup his hands so that they could transfer the smoke between them. When he was certain that Tweek knew what to do, Craig inhaled from the pipe again before cupping his own hands over Tweek’s, blowing the smoke into his mouth. Tweek held the smoke in for a few second before exhaling. Craig was watching him. “Did you get any smoke?”

Tweek slowly shook his head. “Not a lot.”

Craig nodded. “Okay, this time, I’m going to put my mouth near yours. It’ll be easier that way. Is that okay?”

Tweek’s eyes widened but he nodded. Craig gave him a look, and Tweek clarified, “Yes, that’s fine.”

Craig nodded and patted the seat to have Tweek sit next to him on the love seat. Carefully, Tweek got up and sat next to Craig. Their close proximity caused another twisting in his stomach, but he ignored it. He focused on Craig again. Craig picked up the pipe and inhaled again before putting it down. He quickly leaned into Tweek and passed the smoke from his mouth into Tweek’s. 

Again, Tweek held the smoke in for a few moments before exhaling. Craig was still relatively close to him, and he whispered lowly. “Was that time better?” Tweek didn’t make an attempt to move, he simply hummed and closed his eyes. He found that he liked being this close to Craig. 

When he felt a hand softly against his cheek, he fidgeted just barely. Slowly, he opened his eyes. Craig seemed to have moved in a little closer, and Tweek took the plunge, closing the gap between them. His lips brushed against Craig’s, and he was surprised to find that they were a lot softer than he was anticipating. When his mind caught up with his body, he pulled back a little, and his eyes widened as he looked at Craig, trying to feel out his reaction. 

Craig’s actions were just as slow as before, and he opened his eyes to look at Tweek. Neither boy said anything to the other, and neither of them tried to move away from each other. Tweek could feel his heart beat in his chest, and it looked as if Craig, too, was trying to figure out how Tweek was internally reacting. Craig bit his lip before crashing his lips against Tweek’s again, which the boy returned eagerly.


	6. Chapter Six

When Tweek woke up the next morning, he was alone. For a moment he had forgotten he was in Craig’s basement, but after looking around at the discarded bags of chips, blankets, and pillows everywhere, he remembered. That wasn’t the only thing he remembered. He sat up a little, his fingers lightly touching his lips. 

Tweek looked around the room before looking up towards the stairs. The events from the previous night flashed in his mind. He remembered trying pot for the first time. He didn’t directly try it, but that wasn’t important. The events that happened after receiving a second shotgun from Craig was what was prominent. It’s what he cared about.

_They both seemed to pull back from the second kiss at the same time, gasping softly for air. Tweek’s eyes opened widely in wonder and near panic. Craig didn’t look as panicked, but that was to be expected. He did look at Tweek softly though. He said lowly, “I…”_

_He trailed off, not entirely knowing what to say. Tweek bit his lip a little, keeping his eyes on Craig. Tweek squirmed a little and ran a hand through his hair before saying, “I’m…not going to apologize.”_

_Craig looked at him in surprise and laughed softly. Tweek scooted closer to Craig, and he took this as an opportunity to gently place his hand on the back of Tweek’s neck, pulling him into another kiss. Like before, Tweek responded positively and pressed harder into the kiss. This only continued to surprise Craig, but he wasn’t going to complain. He liked this, and he liked Tweek asserting himself._

_Craig tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Both their lips parted, and their tongues danced together, fighting for dominance. Craig gently began pressing Tweek to lie down on the couch, causing a small noise to emit from the boy. He pulled back from the kiss a little, and Tweek adjusted to get more comfortable. As Craig leaned back in, a crashing sound interrupted them, and they both pulled back from each other._

_Their heads snapped to the source of the noise, and Clyde was groaning as he sat up, rubbing his head. Tweek had sat up again and scooted back towards the arm rest of the love seat. Craig, too, was sitting up straight and raised an eyebrow at Clyde._

_“I rolled off the chair.” Clyde said with a groan and looked at his two friends._

_Craig nodded, “Yeah, no shit.”_

Tweek ran his hand through his hair again, taming the bed head. He heard laughing near the door to the upstairs, and Tweek got up, stretching a little. The door opened, and Clyde ran down the stairs. Seeing Tweek, he grinned widely, and Tweek wondered if Craig had said anything to him. “You’re awake! Good morning!”

Craig rolled his eyes, appearing next to Clyde’s side. Tweek glanced at him before looking back at Clyde and chuckled softly, “Good morning, Clyde.”

Clyde held up boxes of cereal. “I brought food. Craig brought milk. As we can all see, I’m the survivalist here.”

Craig scoffed, “I also brought bowls and spoons.”

Clyde shook his head and sat down in his chair from yesterday. “I’m perfectly capable of eating the cereal out of the box.”

Craig didn’t even fight him on the trivial subject, and he sat down as well, putting the milk, bowls, and spoons down. Tweek stretched a little bit more before he sat down on the couch next to Craig. Clyde was the first to choose a cereal and poured some into his bowl. 

Craig excused himself, heading back upstairs, and Tweek watched him until the door to the basement shut. He looked over at Clyde, who was distracted, flipping through the channels on the TV. Quietly, Tweek got up and went upstairs and went to the kitchen. Craig was the only one in the kitchen, and when thinking about it, Tweek hadn’t heard anyone else in the house.

Craig turned to look over at Tweek. “I tried making coffee.” He told him and tapped the top of the coffee maker. Tweek’s eyes followed Craig’s fingers, looking at the machine. “I can’t guarantee it’ll be drinkable. I’ve never used the thing before.”

Tweek blushed, looking from the coffee maker to Craig. “I bet it’s good.”

Craig hummed, grabbing a coffee mug from the cupboard. “I googled how much coffee should be used, and then I added an extra scoop to be safe.”

Tweek chuckled at Craig’s ramblings and took the mug from his hands. “Thanks Craig.”

Craig smiled softly and watched as Tweek prepared a cup of coffee for himself. Nothing was said as Craig nervously watched the blond sip the coffee. Tweek hummed and tilted his head a little. He looked over at Craig and blushed again when he saw Craig staring. “Craig, it’s fine.”

Craig bobbed his head and ran a hand through his hair, leaning against the counter. There was silence between them, but both boys had questions on their minds. Tweek took a few more sips of coffee before putting the mug down and looked up at Craig. He shook a little from nerves, but Craig didn’t notice.

“I…so…” Craig started but had trailed off. He looked back at Tweek, and the silence returned. Craig tugged at his own hair from his nerves and looked away. He recalled Tweek doing that often when they were younger, but didn’t do it so much now. Slowly, he dropped his hand from his hair and looked back at the other boy.

“We don’t have to talk about it.” Tweek forced out. That was the last thing he wanted. He wanted nothing more than to talk about what happened. It wasn’t just one kiss. Who knows how far they would have gotten had Clyde not fallen off the chair. Tweek felt that he might explode from emotions if they didn’t talk about it. Still, he said it to be comfort for Craig. If Craig really wanted to forget it even happened.

The thought of Craig wanting to just forget about it hurt Tweek. It shocked him. Up until a few days ago, he didn’t even think of Craig as anything other than a friend. Sure, Craig was attractive. Actually, he was really attractive, but it wasn’t something Tweek had focused on. Now he did. 

“I like you, Tweek.” Craig finally said, and Tweek’s eyes widened. He didn’t say anything though. He watched Craig and felt like there was more to this admission. “I really do. I just…” 

Craig trailed off again. He looked torn. He looked panicked. He broke eye contact with Tweek again, looking out the kitchen window. It was overcast out and had started snowing lightly. That’s when Tweek noticed the look in his eyes. They were slightly glazed over and stared at nothing in particular. Craig Tucker wasn’t one to expose emotions regularly, but he was filled with them right now. Tweek almost felt privileged to be witnessing such a thing. 

Tweek felt a twisting pain in his stomach, “You don’t have to explain anything, Craig. I understand.” 

He didn’t understand. He wanted to know what Craig was thinking, but he had noticed the pain Craig was in. Tweek didn’t want Craig to be feeling this pain. He trusted that once Craig figured things out he would tell him, but he didn’t want Craig to force anything out. He didn’t want Craig to panic; he didn’t want him to hurt.

Craig reached out and grabbed Tweek’s hand. He jumped from the sudden contact and let out a small squeak as Craig engulfed him in his arms. Tweek stood stiff until he relaxed into Craig and hugged him back. Craig’s arms tightened around him, his face burrowing into his neck. Tweek closed his eyes, and they stood there. They didn’t know how long for, and eventually Craig pulled back just a little and looked down at Tweek. He looked up at him, and Craig pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

Craig pulled back slightly, “I don’t regret anything.”

“I don’t either.” Tweek responded quietly.

“I just feel like there’s things about me…that I want to focus on, to fix, so that I can be better for you.” Craig admitted.

Tweek searched his eyes but nodded. “You don’t have to do it on your own.”

Craig smiled softly at him. “I have you. Clyde and Token can count too, I guess.” Tweek nodded a little, and Craig sighed softly. “I know that’s not what you meant.”

Tweek leaned in and kissed Craig’s cheek lightly. He pulled back, smiling at him as Craig’s cheeks darkened. “It’s okay. You should be happy with you.”

Craig bit his lip and nodded. Having Tweek in his arms made him never want to let him go. Something about the smaller boy made him comforted and safe. He couldn’t describe the feelings he felt, and it bothered him. He only knew that he wanted to kiss Tweek, but at this point, it wouldn’t be right. As much as he wanted to kiss Tweek, he didn’t want to send the wrong message. He forced himself to unwrap his arms from around Tweek.

Tweek picked up his mug of coffee. It was colder now, but he wasn’t going to complain. The two went back downstairs, and Clyde was right where they left him. They wouldn’t be surprised if he was on his third or fourth bowl of cereal, though. Tweek sat back down and sipped at his coffee while Craig got himself food to start eating.

“Where have you guys been?” Clyde asked once they had settled back onto the love seat.

Tweek didn’t say anything and looked over at Craig who shrugged, “We were talking.”

Clyde hummed and finished his current bowl of cereal and put it down. “Well, while you two were talking, I was texting Token. He’s almost done at the doctor.” Tweek nodded and looked over at Clyde. He noticed Tweek and grinned at him before continuing, “We were thinking of going to the mall. What do you two think?”

Craig shrugged again, “That’s fine.” 

Tweek nodded in agreement, and the grin never left Clyde’s face. “Great! I’ll let him know.”

Tweek raised his eyebrows at Clyde as he typed away on his phone. Tilting his head a little, Tweek commented, “You have a lot of energy.”

Clyde chuckled in response. “I just really like not being in school.”

“Even with all the caffeine, I don’t think I could achieve your level.” 

Clyde laughed again and shook his head. Craig simply shook his head and finished his cereal. They decided then to get ready to head out. Craig excused himself to check on Racer, and Clyde followed him to use the bathroom upstairs. That left Tweek downstairs, and he simply changed out of his clothes and into clean ones.

Tweek went upstairs to meet up with Craig and Clyde. Craig was sitting on his couch, his younger sister sitting next to him. She was going on about something, but since he arrived mid-conversation, he had no idea what it was. Craig looked at her, “Shut up.”

She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “Whatever, Craig, but Karen told me that-“

Craig cut her off, glancing at Tweek, “Seriously Tricia.”

She rolled her eyes before hopping off the couch. Grinning, she looked up at Tweek. “Hi Tweek! Your hair’s fluffier than usual.”

Tweek flushed and gave her a curious look. She simply continued to smile and headed upstairs to her room. A few moments later Clyde came down, fresh from the shower. He beamed at them. “Let’s go!”

Craig ran a hand through his hair and stood up. The three of them walked out to Clyde’s car, and Tweek took shotgun this time. He took the opportunity to fiddle with Clyde’s music, changing it to something other than the top hits station. Clyde pouted, but Craig seemed to relax in the back seat, and Tweek too relaxed as he gave Clyde an innocent smile.

Even though Clyde wasn’t thrilled with the music change, he still drummed along to the song on his steering wheel. This amused Tweek, and he glanced at him occasionally. At one point, Clyde’s gaze met Tweek’s, and he grinned at him again. Tweek simply shook his head and chuckled softly.

Token was waiting outside the mall for them when they had gotten there, and Clyde quickly parked the car to meet up with him. Both Tweek and Craig watched as Clyde ran to Token and hugged him tightly. Token only looked at the two of them, bewildered. Craig chuckled as they reached the other two. 

“Dude, get the fuck off.” Token said sternly but with amusement. Craig grabbed the back of Clyde’s jacket and forcefully pulled him back. “You’re acting like you haven’t seen me in years.”

Clyde looked down at his phone. “20 hours is like 4 years in Clyde time.” Token blinked and turned on his heel, walking inside the mall. Clyde pouted and followed. Behind him, Tweek and Craig walked in unison. 

The mall was crowded, but it usually was on a Saturday afternoon. They saw many people they knew from school. Tweek wasn’t one to go to the mall often, but he knew that it was a place that many kids from high school and even middle school went to spend their free days at. He remembered the few times he had gone when in middle school with Craig and the rest of the guys. It felt like so long ago.

Clyde dragged them all into a store, and they each went their own way, looking around. There were clothes that weren’t really Tweek’s style. He glanced around and saw both Craig and Token trying on sunglasses. They appeared to be making fun on the other as they kept trying on different pairs. Clyde was looking at different hoodies. Tweek hummed to himself and went over to Clyde.

He looked up at Tweek and smiled. Taking two different hoodies off the rank, he held them up to show Tweek. “Which one do you think is cooler.”

Tweek looked at the two. One was striped with thick horizontal black and aqua blue stripes. The other was also black but with what seemed to be white paint splatters all over it. Tweek looked at them both and then looked at Clyde. He bit his lip and pointed at the striped one. “I like that one more.”

Clyde grinned and nodded, looking at it again. “I was thinking this one too.” Tweek smiled in return, and they both walked to the register together. “Thanks, I’d usually ask them, but they never give me a serious response.”

Clyde paid for his clothing, and they were out of the store, walking around again. Token was the next one to pull them into a store. It was one of those expensive electronic goods store. Only Token could afford the things in this place, and half the things didn’t seem worth the price. Still, Tweek looked around, and Craig was with him. 

Tweek hummed, looking at headphones with cat ears on them. He glanced over at Craig, “Do you remember the Discovery Store?”

Craig smiled, “That was the coolest store.”

“I remember one time we went to the mall, and you spent the entire time there.”

“How could someone not? It was filled with all this cool science stuff. Their space section was my favorite.” 

Tweek laughed quietly, “It would be.” 

Craig flushed and shrugged. Clyde hurried up to them, exclaiming, “Tweek, those would look adorable on you.”

Before Tweek could question Clyde or protest in any way, Clyde picked up the headphones they had been looking at and put them on the top of Tweek’s head. With no amusement, Tweek stared at Clyde as he smiled at him, leaning against Craig. “Isn’t he cute? With his fluffy hair and cat ears.”

Craig didn’t say anything, just nudged Clyde off him. Token joined them and looked at Clyde curiously. “What did you guys feed him?”

Craig scoffed as Tweek took the headphones off, “We shouldn’t have fed him at all.”

Clyde frowned, but Token prodded him out of the store, and they walked through the mall again. There weren’t many stores that popped out to them, so they simply walked and talked to each other. As they were walking past a store, they nearly ran into another group of four people.

Tweek looked up and noticed Kenny. “Ugh, ‘ey! Watch it.” Cartman said loudly, looking at them and shoved Clyde slightly. Tweek tore his eyes away from Kenny to see he was with Stan, Kyle, and Cartman. Craig glared and flipped off Cartman, stepping closer to Tweek. “Oh, look who it is. Craig and his girly gang.”

Even Stan and Kyle rolled their eyes, but looked at the group in front of them. Token piped up as he balanced Clyde, “You’re at just as much fault, Cartman.”

Stan looked at them all and then seemed a little surprised, looking between Craig and Tweek. He stared at them before snapping back to reality, “Sorry guys.”

Kenny kept his eyes on Tweek and shuffled nervously. He looked away from Tweek and gave Kyle a look, which he read with ease. Gently, Kyle tugged on Stan’s arm. “Hey, come on. Let’s get food.”

Tweek gave Kenny a small smile and waved. But before Kenny could respond, Craig took Tweek’s hand and pulled him forward, Token and Clyde followed. Craig grumbled something under his breath, having forgotten that he was holding Tweek’s hand. Tweek didn’t say anything, but Token did notice, masking a look of confusion. It was when they were a good distance away that Craig remembered he was holding Tweek’s hand and let go, mumbling an apology.

They continued walking through the mall, but it was uneventful. Tweek didn’t have money to buy anything, so he glanced around in each store, not really looking too deeply at anything. Clyde had only bought his hoodie, and Token didn’t get anything. They went into the large bookstore that the mall had, and Craig found a new book on space that he bought eagerly. Tweek thought his excitement was kind of cute and blushed as the thought crossed his mind.

When they left, Clyde headed to Tweek’s house first to drop him off. Clyde drove, per usual, and Token sat next to him in the passenger seat. Craig and Tweek sat in the back, and as they neared Tweek’s house, Craig grabbed Tweek’s hand, squeezing it gently, just out of the two boys in the front’s view. He looked over at Craig and smiled faintly, blushing. Just as they pulled into the driveway, Craig pulled his hand away, and Tweek said goodbye before getting out of the car.

He waved goodbye and let himself into the house. His parents weren’t home. He knew they wouldn’t be. They were at the coffee shop. Since he wasn’t working that weekend, they were working to pick up his shifts. It would be easier if they just hired another employee or two, but they didn’t want to pay that employee’s wages. 

Tweek took his shoes off at the door after locking it. He brought his stuff upstairs, going to his room. As he opened the door he saw a figure sitting under his window, and Tweek jumped, letting out a yelp. The person stood up and said frantically, “Tweek it’s me.”

Relief flooded through him as he recognized Kenny’s voice. “Oh my god, how did you get in here? Why are you here? When did you get here?”

Tweek turned on the lights, and Kenny looked at him with a wide smile. “Breathe, Tweek.” Tweek rolled his eyes and put his backpack down by his desk before sitting on his bed. Kenny waited for Tweek’s permission before sitting down on his bed as well. “I climbed through your window.” Tweek’s eyes widened. “And, I just wanted to see you.”

“You climbed through my window?” Tweek cried. Gently, Kenny put his hands on Tweek’s shoulders to calm him. “Don’t even tell me it’s okay. That’s not okay. If you got through then anyone could.” Tweek paused for a moment before crying out again, “You could have hurt yourself! You could have died!”

“But I didn’t, and I’m fine.” Tweek huffed and wrapped one of his blankets around himself. Kenny smiled, pulling his hands back. “How was your sleepover?”

Tweek stared off before he answered, “It was good. It was nice to relax for once.” There was so much more that he wanted to tell Kenny, but he knew it wasn’t his place. He looked over at him. “You’re talking to Cartman again?”

After the incident in the cafeteria, Kenny swore he wasn’t going to talk to him again, going on about not tolerating people treating Tweek badly. Kenny rolled his eyes, “It’s not like we can actually get rid of him. He weasels his way back in.”

Tweek shook his head and didn’t fight him on the subject. Kenny was right. No matter what awful thing Cartman did, he was still always around. His group would stop talking to him for a few days, but in the end, he was always back in, and he never learned his lessons. Being friends with Kenny, he saw it first hand, and it bothered him, but no matter what he said, nothing would change. 

He looked back at Kenny. While Kenny smiled, he knew he was hiding something. He just wasn’t sure what. Kenny was always good at masking his feelings. It was something Tweek was envious about. He was an open book. With his growing feelings for Craig, he wanted to be able to hide them as well. Tweek didn’t want it to be painfully obvious, especially since he wasn’t sure if or when Craig would be ready to return those feelings. 

The conversation that he had with Craig earlier returned to the front of his mind, and he sighed softly, running a hand through his hair and tugged at it gently. Kenny tilted his head concerned about the regression in Tweek’s tics. Tweek ignored it and looked at him, asking, “Do you want to watch a movie?”

Kenny hummed and looked at the small TV in Tweek’s room. It was a recent addition. Tweek was only given it because his parents had decided to buy a bigger TV for their own room. Kenny nodded and got up, looking at the movies Tweek kept in his room. 

As Kenny put the movie in, Tweek shifted on his bed, getting comfortable and making room for Kenny to come back and sit next to him. A few moments later the DVD was loading, and Kenny came back to return to Tweek’s side. Kenny had chosen a comedy, like he usually did. It was something they had in common. They both liked to watch happy movies that made them laugh. It helped them get their minds off the turmoil they were dealing with in their own life. With Tweek, it was juggling his work schedule with his school schedule while making his father happy. Kenny dealt with his own family issues. Tweek was aware of some of them but not all. Kenny made it that way. He was more focused on helping Tweek through his problems. 

Tweek started the movie and leaned against the wall to relax. He was a lot more tired than he realized, and was only a third into the movie when he began to doze off. Kenny glanced at Tweek when he felt the boy lean against him and smiled to himself when he saw the sleeping boy. He carefully wrapped an arm around Tweek and looked back over at the TV screen. Tweek cuddled into his side, sleeping contently. It brought another smile to Kenny’s face, and he leaned down, pressing a kiss to Tweek’s forehead.


	7. Chapter Seven

Tweek had been asleep, and the movie had ended a while ago. Kenny laid with him, watching the boy sleep peacefully. There was concern that if he moved, he would wake Tweek up, but he mostly stayed because he wanted to. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he pulled it out, squinting from the brightness as he checked to see who had texted him. 

He responded to the person quickly and checked the time. He knew that Tweek’s parents would be home soon, and they wouldn’t be thrilled to find Kenny in their home. It wasn’t that they didn’t like specifically him. They didn’t seem to like anyone that took Tweek’s time away from the coffee shop. 

Gently, Kenny removed his arms from around Tweek and got up from the bed. He shrugged his coat back on and climbed out the window, just like he had come in. He hopped from the window to the roof that was near Tweek’s window. He reached over to shut the window again, glancing one last time at Tweek. Sliding down, he reached the gutter and hung from it for a moment before dropping down, his feet hitting the pavement of the house’s driveway. It had gotten much colder, and he zipped up his jacket, throwing his hood up to try and keep more heat in.

Kenny walked for a while until he began to approach a figure. There was a small red glow emitting near the figure’s mouth, a cigarette he concluded, and he knew it was Craig. As he reached him, he saw Craig’s eyes narrow, and Kenny raised his hands in defense. “I haven’t even said anything yet.”

Craig rolled his eyes and inhaled another puff of his cigarette. Kenny stared in silence and watched as Craig slowly exhaled, smoke swirling from his mouth. Finally, Craig said, “You don’t usually come from that way.”

Kenny arched an eyebrow and chuckled lowly. “What’s it to you?” Craig simply shrugged and finished his cigarette. He threw it onto the ground and put it out with his foot. Kenny watched his actions and remembered what Tweek had said not too long ago. A faint smile came across his features until he looked back at Craig. He had picked up the cigarette butt and put it in his pack of cigarettes to throw away later.

“How much?” Craig asked just to change the topic of discussion. How much he paid never changed, and he knew that. Kenny raised both eyebrows this time, unwilling to let the subject go.

“Is that a hint of jealously I’m sensing, Tucker?”

Craig scoffed, “What do I possibly have to be jealous about?”

Kenny put his hands into his pockets and rolled from the heel to the balls of his feet. Craig watched him, frowning. “If you must know-“

Craig cut in, “I don’t.”

“I was with Tweek.”

Craig grumbled incoherently but tried to seem as uninterested as possible. He wanted, needed, to hide that he was jealous. He couldn’t figure out the exact reason. He did want to be around Tweek, but he didn’t think it was severe enough need to warrant jealously. Maybe it was. His feelings continued to confuse him, but he was sure he really didn’t like Kenny.

“Yeah? I was with Tweek all night yesterday and the day today.” Craig replied in monotone, taking his pack of cigarettes from his pocket to light another one in an attempt to stop himself from getting too worked up. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply once it was lit. He opened his eyes again and stared at Kenny. “If you’re trying to top me, you’re going to be disappointed.”

Kenny smirked, “Yeah, I never saw you as a power bottom.”

He shot him a glare, and with his free hand, flipped Kenny off. “Are we doing this or what, McCormick?”

Kenny dug into his pockets, pulling out a bag of pot. Craig took money from his pocket and passed it discreetly to Kenny as he took the bag from him. He put the bag into his pocket instantly, taking another drag from his cigarette. He turned to walk away, but Kenny teased, “Not even a goodbye kiss? You know, you can’t just use people.”

Craig stopped mid-step and looked at him again. “You shouldn’t sample your own product. Isn’t that, like, Drug Dealing 101?”

Kenny hummed, “Don’t play dumb. We all know you prefer blonds.” Craig didn’t say anything. “Or just a certain blond.”

“That’s none of your business.” Craig replied flatly. He finished his second cigarette, putting it out. He stepped closer to Kenny. He knew better, but he was letting his emotions get the better of him. They had been doing that lately. He didn’t like it. It made him feel vulnerable. Being stoic was something he was good at, but the hard exterior was being chipped away, one day at a time. “Besides, if anyone’s using anyone, how many times have you pictured Butters in Tweek’s place?”

The playful look on Kenny’s face was wiped right off. He stared angrily at Craig but kept his composure. There was a tense air between them, and when Craig knew he wasn’t going to get any sort of response from Kenny, he turned around again. He began walking away, and Kenny warned, “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you, Tucker.”

Craig didn’t look back. He simply waved his hand in acknowledgement and continued on his way. He didn’t know how long Kenny stood there staring at him, but he didn’t care. He passed his house, knowing he didn’t want to be home or alone. Taking out his phone, he shot a quick text message to Token, in hopes that his friend would answer him soon. Even without an answer, Craig headed in the direction of Token’s house. He knew his friend would let him in; he thought a message would be courteous instead of just showing up.

Token’s house was gated, but Craig knew the combination to get in through the gate’s side door. The light on the keypad changed from red to green, and Craig headed onto the property. He hadn’t even made it to the front door before it opened, Token standing in the doorway. He looked exhausted, but he ushered Craig in and shut the door behind him. 

The house was quiet, and Craig assumed that Token’s parents were sleeping. They were always early sleepers. Neither boy said anything as they headed downstairs, and Craig instantly collapsed onto the couch, sighing. Token didn’t urge Craig to say anything. He simply sat on the other end of the couch and let Craig fester in his silence. Token knew that Craig would talk when he was ready, and when he was ready, it would be a flood of words.

“I’m so fucking irritated.” Craig started, and Token only nodded, letting Craig know that he was listening. “McCormick has to act so high and mighty. Like he’s better than everyone. Stan and Kyle are, like, tolerable. But him, oh my god.”

Token stared at Craig as he went silent again. After a few moments he asked, “Why are you thinking about Kenny?”

Craig hesitated, “I just…ran into him.” Token nodded, and he continued. “He just, he looks at you like he knows everything about you, and that asshole doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know what I think, what I feel.”

Finally, Token asked his burning question, “Does this have to do with Tweek?”

Craig’s eyes widened, and he exclaimed, “Why does everyone have to bring him up?”

“To be fair, I was going to ask you about him anyways.” Token admitted, and Craig gave him a questioning look. “At the mall earlier, when we ran into Stan and them, you seemed a little territorial.” 

“Cartman was being an asshole.” Craig defended.

Token nodded, “While that’s true, grabbing Tweek’s hand and dragging him away kind of screams,” He trailed off, trying to find the right words. 

Craig didn’t give him a chance to finish his thought, “I get it. I didn’t think about it. I just acted.”

Token kept his gaze on his friend, “So, is there anything going on there?”

“With Tweek?” Token bobbed his head. Craig looked down at his hands. “No, not at the moment.” Craig rubbed his eyes, answering the question Token had yet to ask. “I can’t commit to anything when I can’t even figure out how I feel half the time. That’s not fair.”

Token hummed, “I think you’re overthinking it.” Craig looked over at him. “I think you think you’re supposed to have some profound, crazy emotion that you can put into words. But, it doesn’t work like that most of the time. It’s not just good or bad. Happy or sad. There’s all these emotions that are in the middle.”

“I’m not good with those emotions.” Craig said, defeated.

Token chuckled quietly, “Yeah, I know, but it’s okay. You don’t have to be. You show us how you feel. Unless you’re mad.” Craig cracked a smile. “There’s been plenty of times that you’ve told us exactly how you’ve felt.” Craig seemed to relax a little. “For some people, expressing themselves with words or actions is second nature. For some people, it isn’t, but I can honestly say you’ve been getting better.”

Craig sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. “Thanks, man.”

Token smiled at him, “Have you said anything to Tweek?”

“Kind of,” Craig confessed. “He was understanding, but it’s Tweek. He’s always been understanding.” He paused and then added, “As long as you’re not being a dick, at least.”

Token laughed, “Then he’ll call you a dick to your face.” Craig nodded, knowing that all too well. Token changed the subject, sensing that Craig was done sharing what was going on in his head, “I’m guessing you’re spending the night?”

“If that’s alright. I really don’t want to go home right now.” 

Token didn’t say anything, but he brought blankets and pillows for the both of them. Token might have his own room since it is his house, but he wasn’t going to just abandon his friend. Especially since it was clear to Token that Craig didn’t want to be alone. Craig thanked him and grabbed the TV’s remote, flipping through the channels. He knew he could get away watching whatever he wanted, but he decided to be nice enough to pick something he knew Token enjoyed too. 

They had chosen something and relaxed into the couch. Still, Craig felt uneasy and didn’t know what to do about it. He remembered how Tweek wrapped his blanket around him the night before. He had looked so comfortable. Craig bit his lip and took the blanket Token brought him, wrapping it tightly around him, cocooning himself in it, and laid on the couch. Token raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything, and they both watched the TV.

Craig could see why Tweek did this. It was comforting as the warmth from the blanket surrounded him. He slowly began to drift to sleep, thinking about Tweek. Token glanced at Craig every so often, and when he was sure he was asleep, he turned off the TV, going to sleep.

The next morning, he was shaken awake by Token. Craig grumbled, flipping Token off. He heard a laugh before a pillow was thrown at him. Still, Craig ignored it, hoping that Token would just give up. He wasn’t that lucky though. A few minutes later, he felt another pillow hit him. Craig groaned again and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He looked over at Token, completely unamused. 

“Good morning, sunshine.” Token greeted with a grin.

Craig blinked, staring at him, “Why am I awake?”

Token folded the blankets he had used, “I’m meeting Nichole for breakfast.” Craig nodded and checked his phone, looking to see what time it was. It wasn’t terribly early, but Craig liked to sleep in more on Sundays. “You can come with if you want.”

Craig looked up, giving him a look of bewilderment. “I’m not third wheeling your couple’s brunch.”

Token shook his head, “Some of her friends are going to be there too. Really, if you come, you’re saving me from being the only guy.”

Standing, Craig stretched and laughed, “You’re so whipped.”

“Nothing wrong with spending time with your significant other and their friends.” He gave Craig a pointed look which he shrugged off. “You should probably shower before we go.”

Craig acted hurt, putting a hand to his chest, “Wow, Token, what are you trying to say?”

“You smell like weed, and I don’t think my parents or anyone in the public are going to appreciate it.” Token said blankly. Craig raised an eyebrow and picked up his jacket, smelling it. 

“Well, that’s fascinating.”

Token’s eyes widened, “Dude, you better not have brought any of that shit into my house. If my parents found it, they’d freak.”

Craig rolled his eyes, “It’s fine. No one’s going to freak.”

“Do you know how much shi-“

“Yes Token.” He continued playfully, “I didn’t mean to bring it here. I wasn’t thinking. It won’t happen again. Please forgive me.”

“Just go take a shower.” He said, motioning to the bathroom. Craig nodded and walked to it. “I put clothes in there for you to wear.”

“Thanks Mom.” Token rolled his eyes, and Craig shut the door, starting his shower. While Craig cleaned himself, Token cleaned up the downstairs. Out of paranoia, he sprayed an air freshener as well. It wasn’t long until Craig emerged from the bathroom and scrunched his nose. “It smells like a laundromat in here.”

Without words, Token handed Craig his jacket. Craig took it from him and smelled it. “Why does this smell like apples and cinnamon?”

Token rolled his eyes, “You’re so fucking overdramatic.”

Craig put his jacket on, “You put up with me.”

“Sometimes I wonder why.” Craig shot him the best menacing look he could without cracking a smile. It didn’t work, and Token rolled his eyes. “Come on, let’s go.”

Craig and Token left the house, and Craig was thrilled that he didn’t run into Token’s parents. He knew they would question why Craig smelled like their room spray. He didn’t think he could come up with a good enough excuse. They got into Token’s car, and he drove them to the diner not so far away. The parking lot wasn’t very crowded, and Craig assumed it had to do with the fact that most people were still at church. 

Craig recognized Bebe’s car as Token parked next to it. He got out, glancing at it, and then walked with Token into the restaurant. Where there was Bebe, there was Wendy, and he saw the two girls sitting with Nichole in the large circular booth in the back corner of the restaurant. The girls spotted them as they walked to the booth, and Nichole let out a laugh. “I should have known you were going to drag someone along.”

Token grinned at her, sitting in the booth, and kissed her cheek. Craig slide into the booth, sitting across from Token and next to Wendy. All the girls smiled at Craig, and he looked at them uneasy. Wendy laughed softly and nudged him. “It’s nice to see you, Craig.”

He nodded silently, and Bebe added, “You’re not very social, so it’s rare to see you out.”

“I kind of convinced him. He wasn’t going to come.” Token informed them, and Nichole laughed. “A little group activity might do him some good.”

All the girls nodded their heads eagerly in agreement. Craig stared at them, his eyes moving from one person to the next. “I’m sitting right here.” He shoved his hands into his pockets, and sat back in his spot. “And the last time I checked, my hearing was just fine.”

Bebe laughed, “Same old snarky Craig.”

Craig grinned at her before looking down at the menu, glancing it over. He usually ordered the same thing everywhere he went, so there was no need to look thoroughly through it. The girls began to talk to themselves before a waitress came over to take their order. 

The waitress was their age, and Craig thought she might go to their school, but he wasn’t sure. He looked up at her when it was his turn to order. She gave him a smile and leaned in a little to be closer. Swiftly, he gave his order without missing a beat, and she wrote it down as quickly as she could to keep up with Craig. She looked back at him and smiled, touching his arm gently while asking, “Do you need anything else?” Craig blinked and shook his head slowly. Everyone else at the table also shook their heads, and the waitress left, putting their order in.

Wendy hummed, “I think someone had a little crush.” 

Craig looked over at her, “What?”

Bebe chuckled, “That waitress totally thinks you’re cute.”

“Well, she wouldn’t be wrong.” Craig claimed and smiled to himself. He earned an eye roll from every single one of them, and he was a little proud of the fact. Craig hummed, “She can have a crush all she wants. I am Craig, and I am gay.”

“I think I heard a few hearts break.” Nichole said with a giggle. 

Token looked at her, “Don’t feed his ego.”

Bebe leaned forward, observing Craig. Her elbows sat on the table, resting her chin in her hands. Craig looked over at Token and flipped him off. Nichole changed the subject, “So, how was your mall trip yesterday?”

Token glanced over at Craig, seeing the scowl cross his face. No one else had seemed to notice it, or so he thought. He looked back at his girlfriend, “It was fine, uneventful.” He looked over at Wendy. “We ran into Stan and the guys.”

Wendy sat up straighter. “Really? They were there?”

Craig grumbled, “Of course they were.” 

She gave Craig a side glance before looking back at Token. “He said he was hanging out with them but didn’t tell me where they were going.” She let out a sigh, “I always ask to go to the mall, but he never wants to go with me.”

Bebe gave Wendy a sympathetic look, “I’m sure he was dragged there beyond his will. I’ve been hearing that Kyle’s been shopping for something for a certain someone.”

Craig raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “Oh really? Who?”

Bebe shrugged and ran a hand through her hair, “I don’t know. I just know someone has caught his eye.” She looked back at Wendy. “Kenny’s also been trying to find a job.”

Craig frowned again, and Bebe noticed the change in his mood for the second time. She didn’t press the issue and continued consoling Wendy. Craig stared down at the table, thinking back to the previous day. He couldn’t give a shit about Stan, Kyle, or Cartman. And, when it came down to it, he really couldn’t even fake a smile for Kenny. The smug look Kenny always had on his face made anger bubble within him.

He didn’t know why Tweek hung around him. There had to be something he didn’t know or understand. When it came to Tweek, he was nice and caring. Tweek put others before himself, and would fight until the end of his days for his friends. He wondered how Kenny fit in there. Sure, there were years between the last time Craig really spent time with Tweek and now. Still, that group wasn’t Tweek typical crowd, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had made Tweek gravitate to them.

“Earth to Craig.” Token said, breaking Craig from his thoughts. He looked over at Token, and everyone was staring at him again. He felt a blush reach his cheeks, and he sunk down in the booth. “Are you thinking about Kenny again?”

Bebe looked at Craig, eyebrows raised, and Craig said quickly to dispel any wrong thoughts they might have. “He’s an asshole.”

Wendy tilted her head, looking at him perplexed, “What do you mean? He’s such a sweetheart.”

Craig grumbled to himself, but no one looked away. They were waiting for his answer. He remembered that they were different from Token or Clyde. They wouldn’t let the question go. He looked at them all and groaned. “He just acts like a cocky asshole around me, and there’s only room for one, and we all know I am the superior asshole.”

Bebe quickly asked, “Does this have to do with Tweek?” Craig’s eyes widened but before he could say anything, she said, “I only ask because he’s the common factor between you two.”

Craig relaxed just slightly and shrugged. “I guess it does.”

Token added his observation, “It has to. You didn’t give a shit about him until Tweek started spending time with us again.” 

Craig only looked down, not wanting to talk about his insecurities. Bebe could sense it, and she gave the girls a knowing look. Something told Craig that they’d all be talking about this later, even though Craig had given them legitimately no solid information to go off of. She looked back at him and smiled sweetly, “To be honest, you and Tweek are really cute together.”

Craig looked up and opened his mouth to say something, but Nichole cut him off. “They’ll be even cuter when it’s official.” The girls giggled, and Craig shot Token a look. He only looked back at him, defeated. Craig sighed again, a little louder to make his annoyance apparent. 

Bebe gave him a sly smile before finally changing the subject. “So, Halloween weekend, I’m having my annual Halloween party.”

Craig commented, “It’s not annual if you’ve only had one Halloween party.” 

She shot him a look, and he only grinned at her innocently. She continued to go over the details of her party and what she was planning. Each girl added their thoughts animatedly, and Craig couldn’t help but wonder if Tweek would be interested in going to it. If he wasn’t, Craig didn’t know if he’d want to go. The idea of spending a night alone with Tweek was much more appealing than going to a crowded house party filled with people he didn’t want to be around. He slipped back into his thoughts, chewing on his bottom lip. Tweek seemed to take up most of them recently, and he couldn’t say he wanted that to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to everyone who has left comments. I read them all, and I appreciate every single one of them. They make me smile like an idiot.  
> I hope you're all enjoying this story, and I wanted to remind everyone that if you have any comments, questions, or concerns, you can reach me better on my Tumblr! My username is WickedHavoc.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	8. Chapter Eight

The coffee shop was dead. It was during one of the awkward times in the morning where people just didn’t come in. Tweek suspected they’d have more business if they had a drive thru. Harbucks always had a bigger crowd. As it got colder out, more people were getting coffee, but less people wanted to get out of their cars in the morning just to get it. Especially when they could travel just down the street to get it without doing that. 

This did give Tweek the time to sit and do his homework. He had started doing that in the morning when it was slow. It gave him the opportunity to sleep more at night, and it helped time pass before he had to go to school. Homework sucked, but it was better than staring into space. 

The bell above the shop’s front door rang out, and Tweek lifted his head, looking at who walked in. A smile broke out on his face as he recognized Craig. Behind him was Clyde, who had his usual grin. “Hey guys, I wasn’t expecting you to come in.”

Craig shrugged, walking up to the counter. Tweek had already started making a coffee for Clyde, and Craig said, “Your parent’s car was in the driveway, so we assumed that you’d be here.”

Tweek nodded, looking from the espresso machine to them. “Your assumption was correct.” He finished up Clyde’s drink, handed it to him, and then looked at Craig. “Do you want anything?”

Craig looked up at the menu in contemplation before shaking his head, “Nah.”

Tweek smiled at him. “We won’t make fun of you if you get the name wrong.”

Clyde snickered. Craig shot him a glance before looking back at Tweek. “Thank you for the consideration, but I’ve learned from past mistakes. I’d only order something I know I can pronounce.”

Tweek hummed, pouring Craig a simple cup of coffee anyways. He handed it to Craig, giving him another smile. “I can tutor you on coffee education if you’d like.”

Craig flushed and took the cup of coffee. Tweek had made it for him, and if it were anyone else, he would have rejected it. Like usual, Tweek didn’t accept any form of payment. Instead, he turned from them to pack up his school supplies. His replacement was going to show up soon. Clyde asked as Tweek finished up, “Want a ride? We’re in no rush, so we can wait until you can go.”

Tweek turned and nodded his head. “That would be really nice, Clyde.”

Clyde gave him his usual wide grin. “It’s no problem.”

“It would be really shitty to just leave and make you walk.” Craig added, and Clyde nodded in agreement. Tweek laughed softly as his replacement came through the door. Tweek removed his apron and went into the back room to get the rest of his things. Coming back out, he joined Clyde and Craig, going out to Clyde’s car. 

Craig noticed Tweek’s lack of jacket and frowned a little. He remembered that Tweek didn’t wear one much when he was younger, but he also wasn’t walking to school from the complete opposite side of town then. He also wasn’t walking home at midnight from the shop then either. Tweek looked towards him and gave him a questioning look. “No jacket?”

Tweek shook his head, tightening his grip on his backpack straps. He hesitated, thinking through how he should answer. “It’s not too bad yet.”

The truth was that it was cold, and Tweek wished he had a jacket. He was fortunate to be getting a ride from Clyde today. On most days, he walked as quickly he could to keep him warm. It was getting closer to winter, and in Colorado, winter came sooner than most other places. He’d have to break down and ask his father for money to get a jacket, but he just didn’t have the courage yet.

Craig wasn’t satisfied with the answer, but he wasn’t going to push the subject. Instead he simply nodded, and they got into the car. The heat in Clyde’s car started to kick in after a few minutes, and he began driving to the school. Clyde filled the silence with a question, “Have you figured out if you get work off for the Halloween party?”

Tweek looked over at him. “I think I do, but I’m not sure about the party.”

Briefly, Clyde’s eyes were on Tweek before going back to the road. “What do you mean?”

Tweek shrugged, “I’m not really a big party person.”

“But Tweek, it’s Halloween. You have to go.” Clyde whined. Craig rolled his eyes and hit the back of Clyde’s seat. “We’re all going to dress up, and it’ll be fun.”

Tweek fidgeted a little and turned to look back at Craig. Craig only looked at him and shrugged. He gave him a small smile, and Tweek sighed, sitting straight in the seat again. “I guess one party won’t hurt. I can always leave if it’s too much.”

Clyde grinned again, “That’s more like it!”

Craig leaned forward in his seat. “And if you want to leave early, I can always leave with you, so you’re not alone.”

Tweek nodded and smiled at Craig again thankfully. He was relieved to know that he wouldn’t be stuck at the party. Not having an escape is what he feared and gave him the most anxiety. He didn’t think Craig was much of a party guy either. He could be wrong, but he wondered if Craig only agreed to go because Clyde and Token had wanted him to go.

They arrived at the school, and the three of them got out of the car. Tweek spotted Kenny at the front of the school, and Tweek said a quick goodbye to Craig and Clyde before walking quickly to him. Craig watched him walk off with a frown before glancing at Kenny. Their eyes met, and Kenny had the same smug look on his face before looking at Tweek and smiling widely. 

As Tweek reached Kenny, Bebe cut in and linked her arm with Tweek’s. He looked at her puzzled, but she only gave him a sweet smile. “Walk with me, Tweek.” She looked over at Kenny, smiling at him too. “I’m going to borrow him for a few minutes.”

Kenny didn’t say anything but shrugged as Bebe and Tweek walked into the school. Tweek looked back at Kenny, mouthing a ‘sorry’. He had absolutely no idea why Bebe wanted to talk to him, but it made his mind run wild. As they walked into the school a few people looked their way. It was a peculiar image to be seen. 

Bebe was one of the more popular girls in the school. She didn’t let it get to her head. She was popular because she was nice. Very rarely was there an instance when she was mean or rude for an unwarranted reason. Still, Tweek wasn’t in her group of friends, and he was far from popular. To see them together was something out of the ordinary, and people took interest. 

She didn’t seem to notice or care though. Instead, she continued to walk with Tweek, heading towards his locker. “I’m hoping Craig told you about my Halloween party that’s coming up.”

Tweek nodded his head, stammering, “Y-Yeah, they mentioned it.”

She smiled again and unhooked her arm from Tweek’s as they reached his locker. He unlocked it, and she continued, “Good! I just wanted to make sure you knew that you were invited.” Tweek looked towards her before back into his locker. “So, there’s no reason to feel unwelcome. I really hope you can make it. I’d love to see you around more.”

Tweek finished up and shut his locker before smiling at her. “Thank you, Bebe. I’ll be there.”

She grinned, jumping slightly in her spot from excitement. “Oh, that’s great! I can’t wait to see what you dress up as!”

Tweek laughed, and she hugged him. He tensed up a little, but she pulled back from the hug before noticing it. The smile never left her face as she said goodbye to Tweek and ran to meet up with her friends. His eyes followed her before checking the time. Classes were about to start so Tweek hurried, getting to his first class just in time. 

The day seemed to go by like usual. The class before lunch had ended, and when Tweek walked out of the room, Craig was waiting for him. A small smile came to Tweek’s face as he approached him. “Hey Craig.”

“Hey, how was class?”

Tweek shrugged, adjusting the straps from his bag on his shoulders. “Boring. We were just reviewing material for the test tomorrow. How have your classes been?”

“Pretty much the same.” He answered. He glanced at Tweek before asking, “Hey, how about you sit with us at lunch today?”

Tweek looked over at Craig as they both headed to the cafeteria. “I’d like to, but I don’t want to just ditch Kenny. I’ve always sat with him.” 

Craig nodded once, and forced out, “You can ask him if he wants to sit with us too.”

That was the last thing Craig wanted. He didn’t even like seeing Kenny during the day. He didn’t want to force himself to spend an entire period during their school day with him too, but what he did want was Tweek around more. If that meant he had to put up with Kenny, then he’d do it for Tweek. 

Tweek looked at him with surprise, “Really? I can ask him.” They walked into the cafeteria, and Tweek said goodbye to Craig before parting ways. Kenny smiled as Tweek approached the table and sat down.

“Hey, Mr. Popular,” Kenny greeted, and Tweek raised his eyebrows at him. “Bebe talked to you this morning?”

“Oh, right,” Tweek said, and this got the attention of both Kyle and Stan. They looked towards him, waiting to see if he was going to explain. He glanced their way before looking back at Kenny who was still staring at him. “It was just about her Halloween party.”

Stan nodded, “Makes sense. Wendy was talking to me about it the other day. Bebe’s trying to make it this big thing.”

Tweek looked at Stan. “Are you all going?”

Cartman grumbled, “Of course Stan is. Wherever Wendy goes, Stan goes. Kyle will tag along like the third wheel he is.” 

Kyle shot him a look. “You’re just mad you’re not invited, fat ass.”

Cartman scoffed, “I don’t give two shits. I don’t want to go to her crappy party anyways. Who knows, maybe I’ll have a party of my own, and it’ll be ten times better than any party a chick could throw.”

Each of the other four boys took their turn rolling their eyes, and Kenny asked Tweek, “Are you going?”

Tweek shrugged and nodded. “Yeah, for a little bit. Clyde’s really set on us going as a group.” 

Kenny nodded and started eating his lunch. Tweek took out one of his books to start on homework that was due the next day. Tweek had made that a habit as well. He’d skip eating to get more work done. He wasn’t usually very hungry during the day so it wasn’t bothersome. It drew concern from his friends though, and Kenny always tried getting Tweek to at least eat something small towards the end of the lunch period. 

Tweek remembered Craig’s offer and lifted his head from the textbook, “Oh Kenny.” Kenny had been watching Tweek and flushed when Tweek looked up, thinking he had caught him staring. “Craig had asked if we wanted to start sitting with him and the guys during lunch.”

Kenny raised an eyebrow and asked flatly, “Why?”

Tweek searched Kenny’s features before answering, “Because I’m his friend.”

Kenny nodded, “And Stan and Kyle are my friends. I’m not just going to leave them.”

Tweek tapped his notebook with the eraser of his pencil from anxiety and nodded. “I know, I get that. I just wanted to pass on the invitation.” He fidgeted in his seat before looking back down at his textbook to start working again. Kenny sighed, running a hand through his hair and glanced over at Craig. 

Kenny knew that with Craig around, it was going to start causing troubles, but he didn’t think it would happen so soon. Tweek had only started talking to that group again for a month, but they were catching up to how they were before the fallout had happened faster than Kenny anticipated. 

He was happy for Tweek. He knew how much Tweek hurt after splitting from his friend group, but deep down he had hoped he would be enough for Tweek. He wanted to be more than enough for him, and maybe it was selfish, but he didn’t like the intrusion of Craig Tucker in their lives. 

Tweek continued to work on his homework throughout the rest of the period, and as he packed up his things, Kenny asked, “Hey, do you want to hang out after school.”

Tweek looked up at him, giving him a small smile. “Yeah, sure.”

Kenny smiled at him, and the bell rang. The students flooded out of the cafeteria and went to their respected classes. Kenny went off to his and sat down at the lab table. He began to take his things out of his bag as a figure sat down next to him. Confused, he looked up and saw Token. Token nodded at him, taking his own materials out.

Without hesitation, Kenny asked, “Why are you sitting here? You never sit here.”

Token looked over at him and shrugged. “I thought I could use a change of scenery.” Kenny didn’t believe him and continued to stare at Token. He tried to ignore Kenny, but couldn’t handle his staring anymore. “What?”

“I’d like a legitimate answer.” Token raised an eyebrow and hummed, looking to the front of the room. “You’ve never just changed something up without a reason.”

Token laughed, “You say that as if you know me personally.” Kenny continued to stare. Finally, he looked back at him. “You and Tweek are close, but is there a reason you seem to be putting him on a leash?”

Baffled, Kenny asked, “What the fuck is that question?”

Token chuckled lowly, “An observation.”

“Well, Tweek is his own person and can make his own decisions.”

Token agreed, “You’re right, but you also know what he’d sacrifice for his friends.” 

Kenny remained silent. Token could have gone on, but he didn’t want to. He felt his words said enough. He didn’t mean to come and attack Kenny, but he also couldn’t watch his friends suffer silently. He caught Tweek glancing at them every so often from his lunch table, but he knew that Tweek would never abandon Kenny without a valid reason. 

Tweek would come up with an excuse, and the thought of Tweek being tugged back and forth between Craig and Kenny sickened him. He didn’t deserve it, and he knew that Tweek would reach a snapping point. The last thing Token wanted was for Tweek to stop talking to everyone all together, and he knew if things continued to escalate, then that’s what would happen. 

Token and Kenny didn’t talk to each other for the rest of the period, and the rest of the school day went by like normal. Kenny was eager to spend some time with Tweek. They didn’t get to hang out often anymore. When school was over, he met Tweek at his locker, and the two of them left together.

The temperature felt like it had only got colder to Tweek as they stepped outside. Tweek shivered a little and shoved his hands into his hoodie’s pockets. They talked about the rest of their day as Kenny led Tweek to Stark’s Pond. Kenny began to get more anxious as they reached their destination. After Token’s talk with him, he felt like he needed to make a move. If he waited any longer, it could be too late. 

Kenny mentioned Halloween again, “I have an idea about Halloween.”

Tweek looked over at him with interest. “An idea?”

“How about we don’t go to the party?” Kenny suggested. “You and I could just go do something on our own. Neither one of us want to go anyways. It’s not going to hurt anyone if we don’t go.”

Tweek contemplated this but shook his head. “I told Clyde that I’d go. Hell, I told Bebe that I’d be there too. It would be rude to just not show up after I said I would.”

“I guess.” Kenny sighed. He could feel Tweek slipping through his grasp.

Tweek wasn’t someone he wanted to get away, and he never thought he would have to rush anything. Tweek wasn’t one to rush. It only put pressure on him to do well, and it made his anxiety worse. Kenny didn’t want that, so he took his time. He got to know Tweek as much as he could. He knew that one day he’d make a move, but he wanted it to feel right. It just never seemed like the right time. When Craig reentered Tweek’s life, he saw his chance slimming as each day went by. 

Tweek talked highly of his old friends. The more time spent with them, the more they occupied Tweek’s thoughts and the more they entered his conversations with Kenny. He hoped Tweek wouldn’t fall for Craig, but he was only kidding himself. If Craig wasn’t a raging asshole, Kenny could see himself falling for him too. But, Craig just wasn’t his type.

Kenny sat down on one of the benches facing the water, and Tweek sat down next to him, looking out at the water. “This place is always so peaceful.”

Kenny looked over at him and nodded. “Kind of makes you forget you’re in South Park, one of the shittiest places on the planet.”

Humming, Tweek shrugged, “It’s not so bad here.” Kenny scoffed, and Tweek looked over at him. “You’re going to find negatives in every town.”

Kenny shrugged, “I guess.” 

They both looked back out at the water. Tweek was relaxed, just enjoyed the serenity that came with the scenery. Kenny was fighting a battle within him. He didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t planned. Nothing he was deciding to do was planned. 

Finally, Kenny said, “There’s one good thing in this town.” Tweek looked over at him again, and Kenny turned his body to face Tweek better, “You.”

Tweek’s eyes widened, and he stared at Kenny. He chewed at his bottom lip before saying, “Yeah, you make living here nice. Surrounding yourself with good people makes things better.”

Kenny nodded but then shook his head. “No, that’s not what I mean.” Tweek looked at him, confused. Kenny stared at him hopelessly. He tried to piece words together. He needed to convey how he was feeling perfectly. He could see how anxious this was making Tweek, so he continued, “I can’t imagine my life without you. Just seeing you makes my day better, and when I make you smile, it’s the best feeling in the world. I always want to make you smile. I want to make you happy, and I think I’d do a good job.”

Tweek blinked, and the silence was killing Kenny. Tweek didn’t know how to respond. This confession came out of left field for him, and it took his mind awhile to process it. As the time went by without a word being spoken, Kenny was losing all hope. He took a deep breath, and in one last effort, he leaned in, kissing Tweek gently. He could feel Tweek tense up, and he slowly pulled back, looking at him. 

“Kenny,” Tweek breathed, his eyebrows furrowing. “I’m sorry…I…”

Tweek had trailed off, and Kenny could feel his stomach drop. He forced a smile and said, “I just wanted you to know.”

“Kenny,” Tweek said again, but Kenny stood up. 

“Hey look, I just remembered that I promised Karen I would do something with her.” 

Tweek frowned, watching him, and stood up. “Wait, Kenny.”

Kenny didn’t seem to be listening to Tweek though. He grabbed his bag from the ground and flung it over his shoulder. He waved Tweek a goodbye and left as quickly as he could. He could feel his heart breaking, and Tweek stood there in shock, watching his friend walk away. 

Once Kenny was out of sight, Tweek ran a hand through his hair. “What the fuck.” He breathed to himself. 

Tweek looked back out at the water and sat back down on the bench. He wanted to go back to his relaxing mood. He wanted to go back in time thirty minutes. Time travel wasn’t possible, though, and Tweek tugged at his hair anxiously. He mumbled to himself, and nothing helped his nerves. The entire scene played out in his head, and the twisting of anxiety in his stomach made him feel sick.

After some time, Tweek stood up and grabbed his bag from the ground. He put it on and headed back to his house, shivering. It only made the situation worse for him. He was completely zoned out as he walked. He didn’t realize the people around him, and he didn’t realize where he was until he made it outside his home. His parents weren’t home because they were at the shop, so he could have some time alone. He let himself into the house and went to his room. 

When Tweek was stressed, he wrapped himself up in his blankets tightly and laid in bed. Sometimes he’d watch TV, but this wasn’t one of those times. He just wanted complete silence. So many thoughts went through his head. Kenny was one of his best friends. He didn’t want to do anything to ruin that, but Kenny had just confessed to feeling more than just friendship.

Tweek had to be honest with himself. He knew that he couldn’t comfortably commit to a relationship with Kenny. It’s not like he hadn’t thought about it. He had but it was a while ago when he did. He didn’t think that Kenny was interested, and he had moved on. He didn’t see Kenny that way anymore. Being honest with himself, he knew that he was falling head over heels for Craig, and there was hope in the possibility of having more with him.

Craig. The thought of him calmed Tweek down just a little. He remembered his kisses with Craig. He remembered how they made him feel. How his chest exploded with emotions. How after the first kiss, he craved to kiss Craig again. He didn’t feel that when Kenny had kissed him. 

Tweek sighed and began to doze off, feeling emotionally drained. He had nearly fallen asleep when he felt his phone vibrate from an incoming call. His nerves went haywire again, and he looked at the screen, breathing out in relief as Craig’s name graced the screen. Quickly, Tweek answered the call and pressed the phone to his ear, “Hello?”

“Tweek, hey. You’re not busy, are you?” Craig’s voice came through the phone, and Tweek smiled to himself.

“No, I’m not. I’m just relaxing. Is everything okay?”

Craig sighed softly, taking a few moments to answer, “Yeah, I just wanted to talk.” Tweek could sense there was something more, but he went along with it, letting it go. “Clyde was talking about the Halloween party again at lunch.”

“Yeah? What was he saying?”

“He picked out a costume for you.” Craig said with a chuckle and continued. “So, I hope you didn’t have something picked out because you’re going as a cat.”

“A cat? What? Why?” Tweek questioned quickly, rolling onto his back, and looking up at the ceiling.

“Well, because your hair’s so fluffy. It reminds him of a cat.” Tweek scrunched his nose. “Plus, those headphones at the mall gave him the idea.”

“Oh god,” Tweek mumbled and then asked, “What are you going as?”

“I don’t dress up.”

Tweek blinked. “No, that’s not okay.”

“What?” Craig asked with a laugh. 

“I’m not dressing up as a cat if you’re not dressing up as anything. If I have to go as something, you do too. The captain goes down with the ship.”

Craig scoffed, “Joke’s on you. I’m not the captain of this shit show.” 

Tweek laughed, “I seem to miss a lot during lunch.”

Craig hummed, “You do. We wish you were there.” Tweek bit his lip, saying nothing. “Tweek?”

Tweek flushed, wrapping his blankets tighter around him. “I was thinking, and I’d like to sit with you guys tomorrow.”


	9. Chapter Nine

Clyde flung the door open, a wide grin on his face. He was already dressed in his costume for the night, a pirate hat and eye patch over his left eye. Tweek chuckled and shook his head. Clyde stepped to the side, letting Tweek into Token’s house. Dragging out the first word, he asked, “Are you ready for a fantastic night?”

Tweek deadpanned, looking at him. “I’m going home.”

Clyde pouted and gently put a hand on Tweek’s shoulder, nudging him to the basement. They headed down the stairs. “That wasn’t that bad.”

Tweek shook his head. “Clyde, that was awful.”

Suddenly, a pillow flew through the air, hitting Clyde in the head. He waved his arms around in a delayed attempt at hitting it. Tweek ducked out of the way, avoiding Clyde’s flailing limbs. They both looked to where the pillow came from, and Craig stood there, holding another pillow. “Are you still saying that awful pun?”

“Are you going to throw that pillow?”

Craig shrugged, “Only if you deserve it.” Clyde looked between Tweek and Craig before lifting his hands in defeat. Slowly, he side-stepped towards Tweek before rushing to hide behind him. Tweek blinked before looking at Craig with wide eyes. Craig mumbled, “Well, that’s not fair.”

Clyde grinned before laughing. “Don’t underestimate Captain Clyde!”

Craig rolled his eyes but looked at Tweek. He gave him a look and nodded his head to the side just a bit. Clyde didn’t catch it, but Tweek was paying attention. Taking a deep breath, Tweek took a large step to the side and in less than two seconds, Craig whipped the pillow at Clyde. He yelped out and ran to the bathroom as Token poked his head out from it. “What the hell are you guys doing?”

“I worked so hard on my costume, and Craig’s trying to ruin it.” Clyde complained overdramatically. Craig rolled his eyes again and sat down on the couch. Tweek nodded at Token before going to sit with Craig as Clyde forced himself into the bathroom to look himself over again.

Tweek focused on Craig and smiled, “I see that you’re not dressed up yet.”

Craig raised an eyebrow and smiled back at Tweek. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m waiting until the very last possible moment.”

“I think deep down you’re really excited to dress up.”

“What I’m excited for is seeing you dressed as a cat.” Tweek scrunched his nose, and Craig laughed softly. He reached over and lightly ran his fingers through Tweek’s hair. Tweek blushed, watching him. “Your hair is good for it.”

Tweek bit his lip. “Are you just looking for an excuse to touch my hair?”

Slowly, Craig pulled his hand back. Quietly, he responded, “Maybe.”

The two boys stared at each other until Tweek’s nerves got the better of him, and he looked down. Craig glanced at Clyde and Token before looking back at Tweek. “You’re spending the night here after the party, right?”

Tweek nodded his head, “As long as it's okay.”

Craig got up and nudged him. “We wouldn't offer if it wasn't.”

Tweek flushed and nodded again. Craig headed upstairs, and Tweek assumed it was to take a smoke break. Clyde came out of the bathroom again and walked over to Tweek with a bag in his hands. Tweek eyed the bag suspiciously before looking up at Clyde. The grin on his face didn’t falter, and he sat down on the coffee table to sit directly across from Tweek. “I’m going to help you with your costume.”

Tweek blinked. “What?”

Clyde dug into the bag, pulling out a cat ear headband. He grinned at it and placed it on top of Tweek’s head. He furrowed his eyebrows, staring at Clyde. A small squeal emitted from Clyde, and he dug through the bag again, pulling out a package of black face paint. “I’m just going to paint a nose and whiskers on you.”

“Don’t you think the ears are enough?” Clyde looked unconvinced and continued opening the package. Tweek closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, accepting his fate.

When he opened his eyes again, Clyde was looking at him eagerly. “Ready?” Tweek sighed and nodded. Clyde chuckled and readjusted the applicator in his hand. “Alright, try to sit as still as possible.”

That was a joke. Even though Tweek didn’t twitch as much as he did when he was a child, the pressure of not having to move just made him need to. Still, he tried to sit still and stared out in front of him. Clyde was filled with concentration as he gently started painting a cat nose on the tip of Tweek’s nose. He had jumped just slightly, and fortunately, it didn’t mess up what Clyde was doing.

He only painted his face for a few minutes and was done quickly. Clyde stared at Tweek’s face in thought, tilting his head to the side. “I think it could be better if I also painted some stripes.”

Tweek shook his head instantly. “I am sure this looks fine.”

Clyde began to protest, but Tweek stood up and turned, facing Craig again. A wide grin was on Craig’s face as he looked at Tweek. He heard Clyde laugh, “Doesn’t he look cute, Craig? Don’t you want to pet him and cuddle him and love him.”

Craig flushed but rolled his eyes. “You’re obnoxious.” He then looked at Tweek. “It is cute, though.”

Tweek huffed and walked over to the bathroom. Token grinned and moved aside to let Tweek in. He stared at himself in the mirror and pouted. He hated how well the cat ears did go with his hair. He didn’t even mean for his hair to be exceptionally fluffy that day, but it was. He blamed the humidity. The headband was hardly noticeable, he could only see the cat ears. The painting on his face was mediocre, but he wasn’t going to critique Clyde on his face painting skills. He was content that this was all he had to wear. When the mention of his costume first came up, he was afraid he’d have to wear some strange black bodysuit, and he told them there wasn’t a scenario where that would actually happen.

Finally, he looked over at Craig. “What are you dressing as?”

Clyde held up the same bag he had taken Tweek’s stuff out of. “He’s going to be a vampire.” Tweek raised an eyebrow, and Craig prematurely flipped Clyde off. “Because he sucks the fun out of everything.” Clyde shoved Craig, putting emphasis on the word ‘everything’. He held the bag out in front of Craig, and he smacked it out of Clyde’s hand.

Token stepped out of the bathroom, along with Tweek. “Settle down you two. Craig, get dressed or we’re going to be late.”

“Okay Mom.” Craig mumbled, picking the bag up from the floor. He walked past them, patting the top of Tweek’s head as he went into the bathroom. Tweek looked back to watch him, and Craig gave him a smile before shutting the bathroom door. When he looked back at Token and Clyde, they were sitting on the couch talking. He went over and joined them, feeling awkward, remembering that he was dressed as a cat.

“Are you drinking tonight, Tweek?” Token asked.

Tweek couldn’t place what Token was supposed to be dressed as. He looked like a mixture of a butler and magician. Knowing Token, he was probably a magician. He was dressed in a dapper suit and was freshly shaven. It wasn’t completely out of the ordinary from what Token appeared like daily. While Token didn’t wear a suit, he did dress nicer than most people in the town.

Nodding his head, Tweek answered, “A little bit probably.”

“I decided I’m going to DD tonight for us, so don’t worry about that.”

“Are you sure that isn’t going to ruin your night?” Tweek questioned, picking at the fabric of his pants, and Token shook his head.

“I’m not a big drinker, so it’s fine.”

The door to the bathroom opened, and the three of them looked towards it as Craig emerged. He had a black cape on, and his hair was gelled back. Tweek bit his lip, staring at him. Clyde clapped his hands once and stood up. “This is perfect. Do you have your fangs in?”

Craig blinked. “I’m not wearing those.”

Clyde whined but Craig stood his ground. Token rolled his eyes, standing up as well, and they were all ushered out of the basement. Token’s parents caught them before they could leave the house and took a picture of the group. Token groaned, trying to hurry them along, but Clyde needed many pictures in different poses. By the fifth one, Craig had grabbed his arm and dragged him from the house. Tweek and Token laughed, following them out to Token’s car.

They pulled up to Bebe’s house, and it looked mostly normal from the outside. There were a few people from school standing out in the front, and the lights inside were dimmed. They four of them climbed out of the car and headed inside. Token opened the door and let themselves in. Tweek found it odd, but assumed that Token had talked to Bebe beforehand, and she told him to just go into the house.

The house was crowded, and Tweek stood close to Craig, looking around. Craig put a gentle hand on Tweek’s back and led him to the kitchen. It was a little less crowded and wasn’t as loud as the other rooms in the house. “Want a drink?” Craig offered.

Tweek had nodded, but when Craig turned to get them drinks, they came face to face with Kenny and Kyle. Tweek’s eyes went wide as he looked at Kenny. They hadn’t talked much since Kenny’s confession at Stark’s Pond. As much as Tweek tried to talk to Kenny, he was always ignored. It hurt but he didn’t know what else he could do.

Craig looked back at Tweek and stepped aside, nudging Tweek towards Kenny. Kenny’s eyebrows furrowed, and he glanced at Craig quickly before looking back at Tweek. They all stared at each other in silence until Kenny reached over and touched the cat ears on Tweek’s head. “A cat, huh?”

Tweek bit his lip and nodded. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as a slight smile tugged on the corners of his lips. Kenny chuckled a little and smiled at him. Kyle cut in, “We were about to take some shots. Are you guys in?”

Looking over at Craig, Tweek saw him shrug and nod. He looked back at Kyle and nodded as well. The smile on Kenny’s face widened, and he grabbed two more cups, and Kyle poured the liquor into them. He handed them to Craig and Tweek. Sniffing the alcohol, Tweek scrunched his face and looked at Kenny. He nudged him gently, and Kyle counted down before they all took the shot.

Tweek coughed out after the alcohol went down his throat, and he looked at Craig, who drank it like a champ. Kenny laughed and clapped Tweek on the back. “That wasn’t so bad.” Tweek gave him a look of disgust, and Kenny laughed again. “Alright, here. The second one will be better.”

Kenny poured them all shots again, and Tweek reluctantly drank it. Kenny was right. It wasn’t as bad as the first one, but he still didn’t like it. Kenny chuckled after seeing the look on his face. He looked over at Craig who was watching him carefully. He raised an eyebrow before gently taking Tweek’s cup from him. “I’ll make you a drink.”

Craig had made his own drink and walked over to Tweek, leaning into him. “I’m going to go check on Clyde.”

Tweek nodded, and Craig left the kitchen. He turned back, watching Tweek and Kenny before turning around to leave. Token stood there, looking at Craig surprised, and Craig rolled his eyes, shoving himself past him. Token turned to follow Craig into another room.

“That’s surprising.” He commented.

“What?”

Craig’s voice was blank. He knew exactly what Token was talking about. He just didn’t want to talk about it. He believed that if he showed disinterest, Token would drop it. He was wrong this time. “Tweek and Kenny, I thought they weren’t talking.”

“They weren’t.” Craig took a sip of his drink and turned to look at Token. People passed them but paid no interest in them.

Token waited until they were relatively alone again. “But I saw you nudge him to talk to Kenny.”

Craig grumbled and took another sip of his drink. “I don’t like McCormick, but he’s Tweek’s friend. What kind of friend would I be if I said they couldn’t interact because of my feelings.”

Token looked at him with a look of surprise. “Wow, that’s mature of you.”

“Fuck off,” Craig grumbled but didn’t muster up the effort to flip him off.

“How do you feel?” Craig shot him a look of confused anger. Token held his hands up in defense. “I know you’re not a fan of Kenny, and I’m sure you’re aware of how Kenny feels about Tweek. I mean, almost everyone can see it even if they don’t say anything.”

“I’m just,” Craig paused before continuing, “Disappointed.”

It was a strange feeling for Craig. He wasn’t open with his feelings often, but Token had made a point in getting Craig to express himself more. He was sure it was to help him, but at that moment he didn’t appreciate it very much.

Craig glanced at Token, “I was hoping to spend most of the night with him.” Token nodded. “I’m really…I just…”

Token stared at his friend. He watched as he shifted weight from one foot to the other before looking around them awkwardly. There wasn’t anyone there, but Craig still thought someone was listening in. ‘Surprise, Craig Tucker has feelings.’ He thought to himself before sighing and looking back at Token. “I really like him, and I think I’m ready.”

“Ready?”

Craig didn’t explain himself. He only nodded, staring at the cup in his hands. He felt as if he was suffocating. The realization wasn’t sudden. He knew the truth deep down, but he was coming to terms with it. As the dust in his mind settled, the twisting in his gut faded. There was almost a sense of excitement and wonder that overtook him. He wanted to talk to Tweek. He needed to talk to Tweek, but he couldn’t. It would have to wait until later. He took another sip of his drink and repeated. “I’m ready.”

Tweek could hardly taste the alcohol in his drink and had finished his first one before even leaving the kitchen. It caused Kenny to laugh, and he made Tweek another drink before leading him outside into the backyard. Tweek glanced around. There were two other groups of people outside, but Kenny led them to their own section of the backyard.

“Long time no talk.” Kenny said as he sat on one of the patio chairs. Tweek took a seat in the chair next to him.

“Which isn’t entirely my fault.” Tweek spoke softly and took a sip of his drink. Without realizing it, Tweek was drinking each time his anxiety spiked. Kenny sighed and nodded. “You kind of, disappeared.”

Kenny looked down at his hands and sighed again. “I was embarrassed.” Tweek nodded. “I just confessed how I felt to you, and I could feel the rejection before you even said anything.”

Tweek took another sip of his drink. “How long have you felt this way?”

Kenny shrugged, “Awhile.”

Tweek nodded and bit his lip. “You…You should have said something.” Kenny looked at him, frowning a little. Tweek looked at him, his cheeks were flush from the alcohol but they darkened as he blushed deeper. “I liked you.”

Kenny blinked and stared at Tweek. “You did?” Tweek nodded, taking another, long sip. “You did.”

Lowly, Tweek said, “I’m sorry, Kenny.”

Kenny nodded a little and stood up. “Hey, I’m going to get more to drink. Do you want more?” Tweek looked down at his cup. There was one more sip, and he drank it before handing his empty cup to Kenny.

Tweek watched as Kenny walked off before closing his eyes. He could feel the alcohol hit him hard. His vision was slightly blurred, and his head spun just a little. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if he should cut himself off, but instead he began to think about Craig. He felt bad, feeling as if he abandoned him. He stood up and stumbled forward, his vision spinning again.

“Whoa,” Kenny said, steadying Tweek. “Careful there.”

Tweek looked over at Kenny and breathed, “Sorry.” Tweek sat back down and took his cup from Kenny. “I was just going to find Craig.”

Kenny hummed, sitting down again. “He’s fine. He’s with Token and Clyde.”

Tweek nodded just a little but stopped when his vision spun slightly from it. He sipped his drink, barely tasting anything, and looked at Kenny again. Kenny was smiling at him softly, and confusion spread across Tweek’s face. Kenny chuckled and asked, “Are you doing okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Tweek answered. “I feel like you kind of got what you wanted.”

“What do you mean?”

Tweek explained, “You wanted to spend the night alone and not at the party. We’re here at the party, but we are alone.” Kenny nodded. “Don’t you think Kyle and Stan want to spend time with you?”

Kenny ran a hand through his hair. “I think they’re sick of me. I’ve been with them nonstop since everything happened.”

Tweek hummed and nodded, “That makes sense.” Tweek paused. “Do you think it could go back to how it was?”

“You and me?”

Tweek nodded and continued. His filter was gone as his brain hardly processed what he said before he said it. “Before you confessed that you liked me. I liked you too, Kenny, but I don’t know about now. Not how you want me to, at least. You’re still one of my best friends, and I don’t want that to change. I miss talking to you.’

“How do you know that you don’t?”

Tweek frowned, “Well, I mean-“

“How do you know that you don’t if you don’t give it a try?” Kenny cut him off. Tweek stared at him and shrugged, taking another sip from his drink. Kenny scooted his chair closer, and Tweek glanced around nervously. No one else was in the backyard, and Tweek looked back at Kenny. “I think before you reject me entirely, you should give it some real thought.”

“Kenny, that’s not a good idea.” Tweek slurred. Kenny put a hand on Tweek’s knee. “I don’t…” He trailed off and looked down as Kenny’s hand slowly went up Tweek’s thigh. He looked back up at Kenny as Kenny leaned in, kissing Tweek again.

Tweek’s reaction was slowed because of the alcohol, and he didn’t have one coherent thought. He hadn’t pushed Kenny back, and it gave Kenny confidence to further the kiss. Tweek’s eyes fluttered closed, and he kissed Kenny back before pulling away from the kiss. “Kenny, I can’t.”

Kenny let out a low groan and looked at Tweek. He stared into his eyes. “It’s because of Craig.” Slowly, Tweek nodded his head. “You really like him.”

“I really do, Kenny.” Kenny bit his lip and looked down. Tweek watched him for a few moments before saying, “I still want you in my life, as my friend.”

Kenny nodded a little and stood up. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

Tweek nodded and downed his drink before standing up. He stumbled again but regained his balance without help. Kenny didn’t appear to notice, but he took Tweek’s empty cup. They walked inside and the warmth from the house made his head spin. He gripped onto Kenny to keep his balance.

Bebe walked up to them and hugged Tweek. “I’m so happy to see you. You look so cute!” Tweek blushed but smiled at her. She giggled as she said, “We’re starting a game of spin the bottle in the living room!”

Kenny nodded, “We’ll be there.” She smiled at them and ruffled Kenny’s hair before walking off to gather more players. He looked over at Tweek. “You go get a spot. I’ll get us more to drink.”

Tweek bobbed his head but said, “Wait Kenny, I don’t think-“

He stopped mid-sentence once he realized that Kenny had already left his side. He huffed a little and stumbled forward, going into the living room. Clyde bounced to his side. “Are you playing?”

Tweek had nodded his head once before Clyde grabbed his arm and brought him over to where Craig was already sitting. He looked at him and blushed again. Craig’s hair was still gelled back perfectly, and Tweek succumbed to the urge and touched it as he sat down. Craig looked over and smiled at him, chuckling. “Where have you been?”

Tweek hummed and leaned into Craig. “Outside with Kenny.” The recent memory flooded back to the front of his mind. He let out a low groan, and Craig rubbed his back. “He kissed me outside.”

Tweek lifted his head and looked up at Craig. He was looking down at Tweek, trying his best to mask the anger he felt towards Kenny. He also trying to hide the nervousness that he felt from this sudden information. “He did?”

“I told him not to. I told him how I like you.”

The nervousness faded, but the anger remained. Tweek leaned into Craig again, and he continued to rub his back. Kenny found Tweek and handed him his drink. While Tweek took the drink, Kenny could see the daggers Craig was sending his way. He recoiled, going to join Kyle on the other side of the circle.

Tweek didn’t want the drink, but he felt rude by refusing it. So, he took small sips of it, just wanting it to be gone. Craig noticed and took the cup from him. “You don’t have to drink it if you don’t want it.”

“’t’s rude, though.” Tweek mumbled and reached forward in a poor attempt to take the cup back.

Craig shook his head and took a sip. He winced as it went down and looked into the cup. “This shit is strong. Have you been drinking this all night?”

Tweek shrugged and nodded. “Kenny made them, and I drank them.”

Craig put the cup down on the other side of him, and Bebe came back, starting the game. She went over the rules that no one needed to hear. They knew the gist of Spin the Bottle, and a few people called out to tell her to hurry up. She shot them a glare and placed the bottle in the center of the circle. Bebe took her seat before leaning in and spinning the bottle first.

Everyone watched the bottle spin until it landed on Wendy. A blush crept across her cheeks before she leaned over, and Bebe pecked her quickly on the lips. A few of the boys whistled, and Stan wrapped an arm around Wendy, pulling her close. Wendy then spun the bottle, landing on Kyle.

Craig zoned out, looking down at Tweek. He was still rubbing his back, and he noticed that Tweek was struggling to simply sit up. He leaned in, whispering into Tweek’s ear, “You don’t have to play if you don’t want to. We can go somewhere quieter.”

Tweek shook his head and mumbled, “I don’t want to ruin anything.”

Craig was going to respond until he heard his name being called. He looked up. Nichole’s eyes were wide as Token chuckled. “Nichole landed on you.”

Craig raised an eyebrow and looked down at the bottle. He shook his head and flipped the bottle off. “Kiss your boyfriend.” Relief flooded her features, and she leaned into Token, kissing his slowly. There were a few other whistles, and Craig rolled his eyes, looking at Tweek again.

Tweek was staring at the bottle. He focused on it to ease his racing mind, but after a bit, Craig saw Tweek’s eyes widen. Craig looked over to see the bottle facing him. Both Tweek and Craig looked up, and Clyde’s eyes were wide. Craig began, “You don’t have to-“

Tweek waved him off and leaned in towards the middle of the circle to reach Clyde. After a moment of hesitation, Clyde too leaned in. Tweek could see the nervousness on Clyde’s face, and it caused him to laugh softly. Clyde’s face relaxed, and the two boys leaned in, kissing each other.

Craig stared at them, holding back a frown. It was Clyde, and he knew Clyde wasn’t a threat to him, but the jealousy still made itself know. As they pulled away from each other, Tweek sat back in his spot, but Clyde hesitated, a look of confusion on his face. He too sat back down and looked over at Tweek before blushing and looking away.

Tweek struggled to keep his eyes open, and Craig leaned into him again. He made a different approach this time, though. “Hey, I'm bored, let’s go do something else.”

A low groan came from Tweek as he nodded, forcing his eyes open. As he did, he noticed the bottle land on him yet again. His eyes widened once more, and he slowly looked to see it was Kenny who had spun the bottle.

Tweek felt his stomach turn and twist. He didn't know if it was from nerves or from the alcohol no longer sitting comfortably in his stomach. Tweek grabbed onto Craig’s arm, and he could see the panic on Tweek’s face.

“We have to go.” Craig mumbled, helping Tweek stand. Clyde and Kenny watched them curiously as the game continued on without hesitation.

Craig directed Tweek to the stairs and helped him up them. Once at the top of the stairs, Tweek broke away from Craig to find and rush into the bathroom. Craig bit his lip and followed, “Tweek, be careful.”

He followed him into the bathroom, and found Tweek hunched over the toilet bowl. Craig frowned and shut the door before sitting on the edge of the tub, pulling Tweek’s hair back. “Fuck, how much did you drink..”

He only heard Tweek groan before getting sick again. Craig knew it had to do with Kenny. Kenny was the reason this was happening. He ignored the anger he felt and kept brushing Tweek’s hair back with his fingers. The door to the bathroom opened, and Craig looked up before glaring at Kenny. “Get the fuck out of here.” He grumbled.

Tweek lifted his head but couldn’t get a glance at the person before getting sick. Craig watched Tweek for a few moments before looking at Kenny again. Kenny stepped further into the bathroom and shut the door. “Is he okay?”

Craig frowned, “Do you really give a shit?”

Kenny’s frown matched Craig’s, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Of course I do.”

Tweek coughed, and Craig continued rubbing his back as he scoffed. “How much did you give him?”

“He and I drank the same amount.”

Blinking, Craig retorted, “I wasn’t asking about you, fuck face. I was asking about Tweek, or have you not noticed how sick he’s getting?”

“I wasn’t keeping track.” Kenny mumbled and soon Clyde opened the door to the bathroom. He peered over Kenny’s shoulder, and his eyes widened after seeing Tweek. He looked towards Craig, and their eyes met.

Craig groaned at the sudden audience they had and waved his free hand. “McCormick, get the fuck out of here.”

Kenny frowned again and began to protest, but Clyde nodded and grabbed Kenny’s arm to pull him away. “You better get out, man.” Kenny tried ripping his arm out of Clyde’s grasp, but his grip only tightened. “Get out.”

Clyde shut the door in Kenny’s face and looked back towards Craig and Tweek. Craig asked softly, “Can you get me a glass of water?”

Clyde nodded and looked through the cabinets in the bathroom. When he couldn’t find anything, he left the bathroom to get something from the kitchen. Once he was gone, Craig sighed softly. Tweek had stopped getting sick and was resting his cheek on the toilet seat. He knew that if Tweek’s mind was all there he would be grossed out beyond belief. Craig leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to the top of Tweek’s head. He heard Tweek hum softly. “Hey, you have to stay awake, okay?”

Tweek only grumbled as a reply, and the door to the bathroom opened again. Clyde stepped in quickly and shut the door behind him before holding out the cup for Craig. He stood slightly to grab it and patted Tweek’s back. “Tweek, I need you to drink this, okay?”

Tweek lifted his head and groaned, looking at him. Craig held the cup for Tweek, tilting it slightly so Tweek could drink some of the water. After taking a few sips, Craig was satisfied and pulled the cup away. Tweek leaned against Craig’s legs, closing his eyes. Clyde was biting his lip when Craig looked over at him. “You don’t think he has alcohol poisoning, do you?”

Craig shook his head a little. “I don’t think so. I think he just drank a lot, but I just want to sit here for a little while and get some fluids in him.”

Clyde nodded and sat on the floor. “You’re really mad at Kenny.” Craig looked up at him and glared, causing Clyde to mumble, “Sorry.”

They all sat in silence, and Craig kept his eyes on Tweek, absentmindedly running his fingers through Tweek’s hair. When he felt it was appropriate, he had Tweek drink more water until the cup was empty. He kept Tweek awake and said to Clyde, “Can you see if Token’s ready to go? We should get him home.”

Clyde nodded and stood up. “I’ll go find him and text you when we’re set to go.”

Craig simply nodded, and Clyde left the bathroom again. Craig sighed and ran a hand through his hair before saying, “You’re going to have to stand up soon, okay?”

He heard Tweek mumble, “I don’t want to.”

“I know, but we’re going to go back to Token’s, and then you can relax.”

Tweek lifted his head and looked at Craig. There was a mixture of emotions in Tweek’s eyes. Craig could see pain and confusion. Craig ran his fingers through Tweek’s hair again before grabbing a tissue from the bathroom counter. He wet the tissue and gently wiped the face paint off Tweek’s face. He saw the blush creep onto his face and smiled faintly.

“I’m sorry.” Tweek said quietly.

Craig shook his head. “You don’t have to be sorry for anything.”

“I just wanted things to go back to normal with Kenny, but I wish I would have spent the night with you.” Tweek admitted and looked up at Craig’s face again. “I like your face.”

Craig chuckled softly and tossed the tissue into the garbage. “I like your face too.” Tweek gave him a small smile and rested his head against Craig’s legs again. Craig went back to running his fingers through Tweek’s hair, and he could feel him relax against his legs.

After a little while Craig felt his phone vibrate, and he pulled it from his pocket to see a text message from Clyde. They were ready to go and were waiting on them now. Craig gently had Tweek sit up and stood up. He grabbed both of Tweek’s hands and helped him stand. “We’re going outside now. Just hold onto me, okay?”

Tweek nodded weakly, and they headed out of the house. They avoided the people still left there and went straight outside. Craig could see Token’s car’s headlights, and he headed its way. Token came out of the car to help Tweek the rest of the way there.

“Hey! Tucker!” Craig turned, seeing Kenny storm straight towards him.

Craig frowned. “Not right now, McCormick. We’re leaving.”

Kenny shook his head. Craig suspected he had drank more due to his slurred words and sloppy movements. “You think you’re so fucking great because Tweek likes you, but you’re a fucking asshole. He’s going to see that, and I’ll be the one to show him.”

Craig rolled his eyes. “Back off.”

“I care about him. I care about him more than you ever could!” Kenny continued loudly. The few people that were outside stopped their conversations to watch.

Craig wasn’t one for an audience, but he had a few words for Kenny. “You care? You nearly fucking poisoned him with alcohol tonight.” Kenny opened his mouth, but Craig continued. “Or was it just your plan so you could make a move on him?”

Kenny shoved Craig backwards, “Fuck off, Tucker. It’s not my fault he drank too much.”

“You’re the one who gave it all to him! You know how he is. You fucking know he’d feel bad refusing it from you. You’re supposed to be his friend.”

Kenny rebutted, “I drank the same amount as him.”

Craig laughed sarcastically. “You might have alcoholism running through your veins, but Tweek doesn’t!”

Kenny stared at Craig for a split second before lifting his fist and punching Craig in the face. He stumbled backwards, and he’d usually throw a punch back, but Token grabbed the back of Craig’s shirt and pulled him away from Kenny.. Craig looked over at him. “Dude, we need to go.”

Craig glared but nodded. Tweek needed to get home, and he knew that. He shot a look at Kenny before getting into the backseat of Token’s car. Tweek was there, and Craig made sure that he was okay as Token drove them home. The car was silent, and Clyde was smart enough to not mention Kenny McCormick.

When they arrived back at Token’s house, Craig brought Tweek downstairs. He sat Tweek down on the couch as he collected all the blankets and pillows he could find to set them on the floor. He layered a few blankets before throwing the pillows down. He looked at Tweek who was forcing his eyes to stay open.

Token came downstairs, holding a sandwich and a few bottles of water. He brought it to Tweek and said gently, “Hey, you should try to eat something before going to bed, okay?”

Tweek looked over at him and nodded slowly, grabbing the plate. He took the sandwich and took baby bites from it. Clyde came down the stairs not long after and handed a bag of frozen peas to Craig. He looked at him blankly but thanked him quietly, pressing the bag to his face. Token turned the TV on, and they watched it until Tweek finished his food.

Token had taken the plate from Tweek, and Craig gently pulled Tweek down onto the floor for him to lie down. “You can go to sleep now.”

Tweek nodded, curling up on the ground, and Craig placed a blanket over him. He looked up at Token and Clyde. Token gave him a knowing look, which Craig ignored. “We’ll be upstairs if you need us.”

Craig nodded and both Clyde and Token went upstairs. Once he heard the door to the basement shut, he laid down as well, wrapping his arms around Tweek. He heard him hum softly, and Craig flushed lightly. As he felt Tweek relax, he pulled him into his chest. “Get some sleep.” He breathed, and Tweek nodded but barely.

Craig pressed a kiss to the top of Tweek’s head and closed his eyes, waiting for Tweek to fall asleep before he fell asleep too.


	10. Chapter Ten

He didn’t know what time it was when he woke up, but he looked over at Tweek’s sleeping form and knew he didn’t care. Tweek looked peaceful, and Craig lightly ran his fingers through Tweek’s hair. He had slept through the night just fine, but it looked like Token brought a smaller garbage can for them just in case. Craig laid his head back down, and he kept his eyes on Tweek, watching for any sign of discomfort. 

They were alone in the basement, and Craig could only assume that Clyde and Token were upstairs. Thinking of the night previous, he knew Tweek was going to feel more than hungover when he did finally wake up. He could already see the panic that Tweek was feeling, worried that he had ruined the night. Craig would never blame him, and he knew Token and Clyde wouldn’t either, but that wouldn’t settle the blond’s mind. 

Craig sat up, running a hand through his hair and tugging at the ends. He looked over at Tweek again. Biting his lip, he fought a small smile but lost in the end. Craig leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head before getting up from the floor. He made sure not to disrupt Tweek as he gingerly placed another blanket over him. 

Craig made his way upstairs, and he could hear talking coming from the kitchen. The voices got louder as he approached, and they stopped once Craig walked into the room. Clyde looked at him and grinned widely. “Good morning, sleepyhead.”

Craig stared at him before walking past them and going outside. He didn't even have to look to know they were following him. Taking his usual seat, he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one, taking a long drag from it. Clyde and Token sat near him, and he looked at them as he exhaled. “Can I help you?”

“You looked awfully cozy with Tweek downstairs.” Clyde chimed, a wide grin on his face. Craig stared at him blankly, taking another drag from his cigarette. Clyde awed, “Don't be such a sourpuss. It was cute.”

Craig flipped him off as Token chuckled. He looked away from the two and tried to ignore their stares. There was an attempt to show as little emotion as possible, but thoughts of Tweek couldn't stop the smile tugging at his lips again. Clyde let out a small squeal. “Why didn't you tell me?”

Craig shot Token a look. “A better question is why did you blab?”

Token held his hands up in defense. “I didn't tell anyone. Your actions spoke a million words.”

Craig huffed and looked away. Clyde continued, “I wouldn't have kissed him last night had I known!”

Craig raised an eyebrow and looked at him. “You acted a little strange after it.” Clyde’s cheeks turned a crimson as he broke eye contact. “What’s that about?”

Clyde shrugged, causing Token to raise both eyebrows at him. Lifting his head, Clyde looked between Craig and Token, getting flustered. “It was nothing!”

“Well anyways-”

“No, no, I want to know.” Craig interrupted Token. While Token was more than willing to let the topic drop, Craig wasn't. Perhaps it was payback for all the times Clyde wouldn't butt out of certain things Craig would have liked to remain a secret. 

Clyde covered his face partially with his hand, and looked at Craig. “It was just weird.” He mumbled. “I thought it was going to gross me out, but it didn't. It…”

Clyde trailed off as Craig finished his cigarette. “You think kissing Tweek is gross?”

Clyde’s eyes widened and he sat up straight, dropping his hand from his face. “What? No!” Craig watched him with amusement, crossing his arms over his chest. “It's just making me think of things differently.”

Token furrowed his eyebrows as Craig nodded. “Well, dude, if you need help figuring out if you're into guys, I'll bite the bullet and make out with you.”

Clyde rolled his eyes, “You're an ass.”

Craig hummed, leaning forward, and patted Clyde on the back. “Hey, don't stress about it okay?”

Token nodded in agreement. “It doesn't change how we feel about you. You'll figure it all out eventually.”

Clyde dragged a hand down over his face and nodded. To try and lighten the mood, Craig said, “I don’t blame you. Tweek’s a great kisser.”

Both Token and Clyde looked over at him raising their eyebrows. Token asked, “What? When did you guys kiss?”

Craig shrugged, “A little while ago.”

“And you’re not dating yet?” Clyde questioned. Craig shrugged again before shaking his head. 

Clyde watched him curiously as Token informed, “He’s been having an internal battle.”

Craig rolled his eyes and took out another cigarette, rolling it between his fingers, but didn’t light it. “I wanted to,” He paused for a moment, “make things official. I just did want to rush into anything when I felt so unsure if I could actually treat him right.”

Clyde nodded a bit, “That’s admirable.” Craig rubbed his temples. “I’m guessing you’ve figured that out?”

Craig bit his lip but nodded. “I’m still nervous…scared shitless, really, but I can’t just pretend that I don’t want to be more that what we are now.” He looked up at Clyde. “I look at him, and the fear begins to fade. It’s still there, but he makes it better. I’ve never been good with feelings, and he fucking makes me feel thousands of new ones. It’s terrifying, but I couldn’t imagine my life without him.”

Clyde couldn’t wipe the grin from his face as he let out another squeal of excitement. Token rolled his eyes and gently shoved Clyde to the side. Craig took the unlit cigarette and put it back into the pack, deciding against smoking another one. This seemed to please Token, and he sat back, watching Craig. “What are you going to do about Kenny?”

A low growl emitted from Craig. “There’s nothing I can do.”

“What? What do you mean?” Clyde asked, frowning.

Waving a hand around, Craig answered, “I don’t like him, but he’s Tweek’s friend. It’s not my decision on who he talks to. As long as he isn’t hurting him, there’s nothing for me to do.”

Clyde protested, “I’m sure he’s going to be pissed when he finds out Kenny punched his future boyfriend.”

Craig raised an eyebrow, wondering if Clyde was more invested in his currently blooming relationship than he thought. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed, “I’m not telling him.”

It was Token’s turn to frown. “What?”

Before Craig could answer, Clyde also asked, “What do you mean you’re not telling him? It’s going to be hard to hide a fucking black eye.”

Craig groaned. “I just don’t want more fucking drama. McCormick is, like, the king of it.”

“I think you mean Cartman.” Clyde corrected with a grin. Craig rolled his eyes. Clyde mumbled, “Regardless.”

“Regardless, McCormick’s already caused enough problems right now. He made a move on Tweek last night. Then he fucking comes at me. If he wants to tell Tweek, he can, but I don’t want to continue this fucking battle. I’ll swallow my pride and say I fucking ran into something last night.” Craig explained and looked at the both of them.

Token continued to frown, “I don’t think you’re going to build a solid foundation with Tweek by lying to him.”

Craig frowned because he knew that Token was right. He wanted nothing more than to be open and honest with Tweek, but he was just afraid of what would come from it. What if Tweek decided that being in a relationship with Craig was going to be too problematic before they even had a chance to make anything official? This isn’t something Craig wanted to risk.

Clyde nodded, “I think Token’s right. Tweek should know, and you should be honest.”

Craig groaned and slumped in his seat. “I fucking hate you guys.”

Both boys chuckled, shaking their head. Token asked, “How are you feeling, Craig?”

Craig looked up and shot him a glare. “I know what you’re trying to do.” He told him, crossing his arms over his chest again. He frowned at Token, but the boy still looked at him, expecting an answer. “I feel like I want to punch you.”

Clyde looked over at Token, raising an eyebrow. Rolling his eyes, Token sat forward once more, showing his interest. “Now, Craig, you’re never going to feel comfortable with your feelings if you don’t talk about them.”

Clyde blinked and looked over at Craig now. Sneering, Craig responded, “Now I feel like you’re just mocking me.”

Token had made this a habit. He’d ask Craig how he was feeling. He’s poke and prod Craig until he answered. He had done it the night before, and he was doing it now. Still, Craig didn’t appreciate it, and still, he didn’t want to answer. The three of them sat in silence as Craig stared blankly at the stone patio flooring. Clyde was still filled with confusion, and Craig looked over at him.

“Jesus Christ, Clyde, it’s nothing major.” Clyde pouted at him. “Token just thinks he can play therapist.”

Token huffed, “Hey, it’s better than nothing!” Craig shrugged and stood up, stretching. “I want an answer, Tucker.”

He raised an eyebrow at Token, “Feisty in the morning.” Token still gave him a hard stare. Craig let out an over-exaggerated groan. “How do I feel? I’m fucking scared shitless. I’ve made that known, but all I want to do is go and lie down with Tweek again. So, that’s where I’m going.”

Token laughed and nodded, waving him away. “Okay, but leave the door open!”

Craig rolled his eyes, flipping him off, and went back into the house. He grabbed a muffin from the counter, in case he could get Tweek to eat, and some water. He managed to miss seeing Token’s parents and went back to the basement. Out of spite, he shut the basement door and went downstairs.

Tweek was still asleep, and Craig sat back down next to him, carefully putting the water and food onto the coffee table. He looked over at Tweek and lightly ran his fingers through his hair, taming it just a bit. Craig found it crazy how just being next to Tweek calmed him down. He could feel his entire body relax. His mind was still going a mile a minute, but he found it wasn't as bad. 

He watched Tweek quietly, not daring to turn on the TV or do anything else that might disturb him. He knew that Tweek wasn't going to feel well, and there wasn't anything he could do about it. He frowned a bit at the thought, but Tweek shifted in his sleep, and he perked up, focusing on him once more. 

Tweek’s eyes fluttered opened, and he looked at Craig briefly before shutting his eyes again. He groaned lowly and pressed his face into the pillow. Craig let out a soft laugh, “Not feeling well?”

Tweek shook his head slowly in the pillow and let out another groan. Lightly, Craig ran his fingers through Tweek’s hair again. A small blush crossed Tweek’s cheeks, and he peeked up at Craig. “What happened to your eye?”

Tweek’s voice was so quiet, Craig barely caught the question. Biting his lip, he shifted a little. Token’s words rang through his head again, and while he knew that he was right, the twisting anxiety in his stomach convinced him otherwise. Still absentmindedly running his fingers through Tweek’s hair, he answered, “I ran into something last night when we got back here.”

Craig could see the frown form on Tweek’s face, and he wanted nothing more than to get rid of it. Timidly, Tweek reached out just enough to lightly touch the side of Craig’s face, near his bruised eye. “Does it hurt?”

With a soft smiled, Craig shook his head. There was a moment of silence, and Craig took the chance to change the subject. “Do you want something to eat?” Tweek grimaced, shaking his head, and Craig laughed kindly before offering, “How about some water?”

Tweek shrugged just barely but sat up. He knew the water would help with his headache. Craig already missed the close contact between them as he also sat up, grabbing the glass of water for Tweek and handed it to him. As he sipped the water, Craig inched closer to him. 

He finished about half the glass before reaching over to set it down again. Tweek looked around the room before looking back at Craig. He suddenly flushed as his eyes widened. “Do I still have that makeup on my face?”

Craig laughed again as he shook his head. “I took it off you last night.” Relief flooded Tweek’s features, and he let out a breath. Craig raised an eyebrow at him before nudging him. “You were a cute cat.”

Tweek glared lightly. “Are you into furries?”

Craig gave him an incredulous look, stating blankly, “What? No.” Tweek let out a small laugh, and Craig grabbed a pillow, lightly hitting Tweek with it, and Tweek laughed louder. 

“It's okay, Craig. I'd still like you if you did.” Craig shook his head and hit him again, earning a louder laugh. Craig dropped the pillow onto his lap and smiled softly at Tweek. Slowly, Tweek stopped laughing and blushed again when he noticed Craig watching him. 

As moments passed, Craig could feel a swelling in his chest, an overwhelming feeling that radiated throughout his body. It was new and startling, but something within told him it was a good thing. Looking at Tweek only made it worse. The small smile and faint blush on his cheeks made Craig’s chest pound harder. 

There were so many things he wanted to tell Tweek. So many emotions he’d always thought he'd never feel or was just too scared to feel ran through him now. He felt vulnerable, and he hated it, but he wouldn't change it. Craig felt his body move on its own, but he wasn’t going to fight it. He leaned forward, and Tweek appeared to have the same idea as he met him halfway there, pressing their lips together. 

The headache that pounded in Tweek’s skull seemed to disappear as he shifted, wrapping his arms around Craig’s neck, deepening the kiss. It took Craig by surprise, and he let out a small gasp. Tweek used this as an opportunity to slide his tongue past Craig’s lips. He remembered his first kiss with Tweek vividly, but this kiss blew it out of the water. 

Craig pulled back and panted softly, looking at Tweek. Biting his lip, Tweek looked back at him. “Craig,” He began softly. Craig opened his mouth to say something, but Tweek held up a hand. “I know what you said before, and I meant what I said. I really like you, Craig.”

Craig nodded and said quietly. “Tweek, I,” He paused, running a hand through his hair. “I do too. I really like you too.” Tweek blushed but smiled at Craig. Gently, Craig took Tweek’s hands into his own and laced their fingers together. “I want to not be so scared of a relationship. I always just went with the flow of things, but with this there’s just so much,” Craig trailed off.

“Pressure?” Tweek finished, and they both chuckled as Craig nodded.

When the laughter quieted, Craig squeezed Tweek’s hands. “If I could date anyone, you’d be my only choice.”

Tweek’s smile widened, but they were interrupted by Tweek’s phone. He looked over at the table and reached forward, grabbing it. Tweek frowned faintly at the screen before taking the call. “Hey Kenny.”

Craig’s face dropped but he fought the frown that threatened to spread across his lips. He watched Tweek, his nerves going wild. Craig couldn’t hear anything that Kenny said on the other end, and Tweek’s face gave him no hints. It only made his anxiety worse

Tweek didn’t give big replies, but after a few minutes, he glanced at Craig before getting up from the floor and going upstairs without a word. Craig frowned now, watching him. He fidgeted and picked up his own phone to distract himself. He checked to see if there were any messages he hadn’t seen. There were no new notifications, and he put the phone down and looked back at the staircase leading upstairs.

The door to the basement opened and both Clyde and Token came downstairs. Craig let out a groan, running a hand through his hair. Token raised an eyebrow at his reaction, but Clyde had a look of worry. Looking over at Craig, he asked quickly, “Hey, is Tweek okay?”

Craig shrugged, shifting a little. “He was fine until he took that call.”

Token nodded, “Yeah, he looked upset when we saw him. He headed outside to talk to whoever it is.”

“Do you think it’s his dad? He always gets down when his dad calls him.”

Craig shook his head, “It was McCormick.”

Both Token and Clyde sat down on the couch, and Token looked at him, surprised. “Kenny? What do you think he’s telling him?”

Craig groaned again and looked towards the door. He didn’t answer Token. He didn’t know what to say. Craig didn’t want to think about it. Kenny could be telling Tweek anything, and Craig was nervous just thinking about it. If they were all lies, what would Tweek believe? Craig’s mind raced with possibilities, and Token frowned, watching his friend.

They all sat in silence, waiting for Tweek to come back. The silence might have been worse for Craig. It gave his thoughts a chance to wander wherever they wanted. In the end, he could only hope for the best. After some time, the door opened again, and Tweek came back downstairs. He looked flustered and still upset. He looked at Token and Clyde before looking back at Craig. He frowned at him, and Craig could feel his heart break.

“Tweek?” His voice was soft, but everyone in the room heard. 

After a few moments, Tweek stepped forward. “Why did you start a fight with Kenny at the party?”

Craig raised his eyebrows and slowly stood up from the floor. “What?”

Tweek fidgeted but stood his ground. “Kenny said that you started fighting with him. First verbally and then…” He trailed off and waved a hand around. “He said he hit you in self-defense.”

Craig frowned, but he didn’t get the chance to defend himself as Clyde spoke up, “That’s not what happened at all.” Surprised, Tweek looked over at Clyde. He took this as a sign to continue. “Kenny came at him as we were leaving the party. He was all drunk and yelling at Craig, and then he hit him.”

Craig shot a glance over at Clyde before looking back at Tweek. Their eyes met, and Tweek looked at him confused. “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

Craig picked up on another emotion Tweek was giving off. He stared at him, not answering as he tried to figure it out. Token groaned now, piecing together that Craig hadn’t taken his advice. Tweek’s features slowly changed from anger to sadness. It clicked in Craig’s brain, and his chest hurt again. The emotion was hurt. He had hurt Tweek. Running a hand through his hair. Tweek asked again, “Why did you lie?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!  
> I hope everyone has a great and SAFE holiday. I'm going to be out of town until Sunday night, so there might not be another update until this time next week, but I'm hoping to get something out sooner.  
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Chapter Eleven

Tweek wasn't happy, but Craig needed to get out of Token’s house. He felt the stares of Token and Clyde burn into his back as he led Tweek out of the house. He knew that Tweek was mad, but he still agreed to follow Craig, and there was hope that was a good sign. 

Craig wasn't sure where to go. He didn't know if he wanted somewhere private like Stark’s Pond or somewhere more public. Tweek wasn't one to make a scene. He was similar to Craig and didn't enjoy strangers knowing details of their personal lives. 

They walked down the sidewalk in silence, Tweek walking a few steps behind him. Craig slowly came to a stop and looked through the glass window of the diner he had gone to with Token a few weeks prior. He looked at Tweek, “Come on, you should eat something.”

Tweek opened his mouth to protest, but Craig had already moved and opened the door. Tweek walked through, into the restaurant, and Craig followed behind him. They were quickly directed to a booth, and both boys slide into their respective sides. Tweek glanced around before looking back at the boy sitting across from him. “I’m not really hungry, Craig.”

Craig gave him a pointed look and slid the menu closer to him. Sighing in defeat, Tweek took the menu and looked over it. His lips were pressed tightly into a straight line, and he put the menu down, looking up at Craig. His eyes bore into him and nothing made him look away. Craig had hoped he would. While he usually liked having Tweek’s attention, this wasn’t the right kind of attention. He wondered what was going through Tweek’s head, but then there was worry that the prolonged silence from the both of them had Tweek convincing himself of something that wasn’t true.

The waiter came by, taking their orders, and Tweek kept his eyes on Craig as he ordered. It only made his nerves worse. After Tweek, Craig broke eye contact to look at the waiter and order. Once he was done, the waiter left the table, and Craig’s eyes met Tweek’s again. He was still looking right at Craig, causing him to twist in his seat, nervousness filling him to the brim. 

He didn’t know where to start. Lowly, he said, “So…”

Tweek grew impatient, and he said quickly as his eyes narrowed, “Tell me what’s going on, Craig. There’s Kenny’s story. Then, there’s your story. Token and Clyde’s story matches up with yours, and while I trust them, I can’t help but question it because they instantly jump to your side.”

Craig slowly nodded and slouched in his seat. “We were playing Spin the Bottle, and you didn’t seem to be doing well, so I asked if you wanted to go somewhere with less people. We went upstairs, and you were getting sick. Kenny showed up, and I made him leave. I just thought you’d be uncomfortable with all these people around.” Tweek nodded. “I’m guessing he was mad about it, so when we were leaving, he came up to me and started yelling at me. He threw a punch.” Craig paused to motion to his black eye. “I didn’t do anything back. I just wanted to get you home.”

Tweek nodded slowly, chewing at his lower lip. Craig could see Tweek glance over at Craig’s black eye and frown a little more. “If that’s really it, then why did he get so mad at you? Why did he hit you?”

The anger seemed to dissipate from Tweek’s features. All that was left was sadness with a hint of confusion. Tweek didn’t remember much from the night before, and while he vaguely remembered what happened with Kenny in Bebe’s backyard, he didn’t think anything that happened warranted Craig getting hit. Kenny knew that Tweek and Craig were friends. He even knew that Tweek liked Craig. Tweek couldn’t wrap his head around why Kenny would result to violence and then lie about it the next day.

Craig sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. “Do you remember that he kissed you last night?” Blushing, Tweek nodded. “Yeah, Tweek, I’m pretty sure whatever he told you has something to do with the fact you rejected him last night. I think he wants you to hate me.”

Timidly, Tweek nodded again. He dropped his gaze and stared at his hands. “That makes sense, but I just,” He paused, frowning again. “I never thought Kenny would do something like this. I rejected him. He should be upset with me. He shouldn’t be upset with you.”

Craig reached over and took one of Tweek’s hands in his own, squeezing it gently. He wondered how much of the night he should tell Tweek. He was already upset over what he found out about Kenny, and Craig didn’t want him to hurt even more, but this all was happening in the first place because he hadn’t told Tweek the truth. His eyes met Craig’s again.

“He knows that I like you too. He thinks that he’s better for you.”

Tweek sighed and gently squeezed his hand back. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Craig frowned. The worst-case scenario flashed through Craig’s mind, and he worried that Tweek would change his mind about being with him. What if Tweek was thinking and concluded that Kenny would be better for him. Tweek could see the panic come to Craig’s face, and he squeezed his hand again, breaking Craig from his intrusive thoughts. 

“Craig, get out of your head.” He said softly, and Craig flushed. After a few moments of silence, Tweek continued, “There just seems to be a lot of unnecessary drama going on. I’m sorry that you’re being thrown into the mix.” Tweek looked down at their hands. “I don’t know what to do. Kenny’s my friend. He’s been there for me, but I don’t know if he’s going to be able to push the feelings he has for me aside, and I don’t need him in my life if he’s only going to hurt the people I care about because he gets a little jealous.”

Craig nodded. He had a taste of the jealousy that Kenny might be feeling, but he still didn’t know why he’d stoop to hurting the person he cared about. Craig supposed that Kenny might not have realized that it was hurting Tweek. Craig hoped he wouldn’t hurt Tweek intentionally. His motives were just a little mixed up. “You can try talking to him.”

“I tried yesterday. Granted, we had both been drinking, but I remember saying nothing was going to happen between me and him. I think he’s convinced that I’m going to change my mind, though.” Tweek shifted in his seat and looked down. “Are you mad?”

Craig frowned again, “Mad about what?”

Tweek lifted his head, “About him and I kissing last night?” Craig shook his head, frowning still. Tweek continued, “I know we’re not…official…or anything, but it still doesn’t make it right. I feel bad about it happening.”

Craig squeezed Tweek’s hand again. “Tweek, I’m going to be honest. I’m not comfortable with you and him being alone together.” Tweek bit his lip but nodded. “I know that you’re both friends, and I respect that, and, really, you’re free to do whatever you want, but I just wanted to let you know how I feel.”

“I’m strong, Craig.”

He smiled softly at Tweek. “I know. There isn’t a doubt in my mind about it. I just don’t like thinking about you being in a situation that you’re uncomfortable in. He’s already made a move on you while you two were alone. I’m just afraid he’s going to try more.”

Humming, Tweek nodded. “I understand.” 

Tweek spoke softly, and Craig could barely hear him. He watched Tweek’s demeanor. He appeared tense, but unsure. Tweek didn’t lie when he said he understood Craig. Putting himself in Craig’s shoes, he’d be uneasy if this was happening to Craig. Still, he didn’t want to completely abandon his friendship with Kenny. He had done that years prior to Craig, Clyde, and Token, and since reentering their lives, he’d come to regret it every day. 

“Is this what happened between him and Butters?” Craig questioned. 

Tweek looked around uncomfortably before looking back at Craig. It was an honest question and most people didn’t know the story. It was for good reason, but that only heightened everyone else’s curiosity. The only people who knew the whole story were the people involved, Butters and Kenny. Tweek knew it wasn’t something to bring up.

Biting his lip, Tweek responded, “I don’t know much.” He admitted. “I probably know as much as everyone else. He and Butters were really close, but then one day, they weren’t. I always suspected it had something to do with Butters’ dad.”

Craig raised an eyebrow. He never considered that Butters and Kenny’s falling out was caused by someone other than one of them. It had happened so suddenly, without words. Throughout the ending of their time in Elementary school and into the summer months before High school started, Butters and Kenny were inseparable. One was never found without the other. Everyone knew that. 

One day, it all changed. Kenny didn’t come to school with Butters, and Butters opted out of sitting with Kenny at lunch. Not everyone noticed it at first, but by the end of the first week, the rumors swirled throughout the school. There was no fight during school. They didn’t even acknowledge the other anymore. When Tweek had first begun to talk with Kenny, he was careful to not mention Butters. When Kenny never brought him up, Tweek assumed it was because it was something he didn’t want to talk about. Tweek respected his privacy, and so, he never asked him what happened. 

“I heard that they were secretly dating, but Kenny did something to screw it up, and they broke up.” Craig said with a shrug. Tweek nodded, and Craig added, “I like your theory better.”

Tweek smiled and joked, “I think you’re just trying to suck up to me now.”

Craig chuckled, shrugging in response, and their food came. After his first bite, Tweek realized he was much hungrier than he thought. His stomach had been queasy all morning, and it only intensified when everything with Kenny and Craig started. Craig was content after Tweek took his first few bites and also started eating.

They spent the rest of their meal talking and joking around. Craig was thankful that this fight had turned out to be minor and passed without too much damage. When they had finished eating, Craig paid for their meal, and they headed back outside, going to Token’s house.

“I really am sorry, you know.” Craig said and gently nudged Tweek. 

Flushing, Tweek looked up at him. “I know, Craig.” He replied softly. His response worried Craig, but Tweek took Craig’s hand into his. “It’s okay.”

Craig bit his lip as he felt butterflies flutter in his stomach from the contact. “I’m going to be honest from now on.” He told him. “Even when it scares the hell out of me and makes me feel like my chest might explode, I’m not going to keep things from you.”

Tweek smiled at him and laced their fingers together. “Thank you, Craig.”

They continued walking, and every few minutes, Craig stole glances of Tweek and smiled to himself. After a while he noticed the small shiver that overtook Tweek’s body. They weren’t far from Token’s, but he’d feel awful if he ignored it. He stopped them from walking, and Tweek looked over at him. Reluctantly, Craig pulled his hand from Tweek’s and shrugged his jacket off.

“Here,” He said simply, helping Tweek put the jacket on. Tweek blushed furiously, looking down at the jacket once it was on him. Craig smiled again, gently straightening it out. It was a size bigger than what Tweek usually wore, but it still looked nice on him. Craig found himself blushing too once his mind began to wander, imagining Tweek in other pieces of Craig’s clothing. “You look good.”

Tweek blushed and gave him a small smile, taking Craig’s hand again. “Thank you, Craig.”

They continued walking, but Craig felt that something was off. He felt that he and Tweek were close, but there was still a question in the air. What were they to each other? Before the fight, they had been kissing, again. They were holding hands now, and both had confirmed their feelings for each other. He had been the one hindering the progression of their relationship. Craig didn’t want to do that anymore. 

He stopped them again as they neared the gate to Token’s property. Tweek looked at him again, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. “Is everything okay?”

Craig shook his head but then nodded. “I’m fine.” He said quickly, but the concern on Tweek’s face remained. “We were interrupted earlier because of the phone call.”

Tweek flushed. “We were, I guess.”

Craig took Tweek’s other hand into his own and held them both. “I want to show you off. I want to parade you around and make sure people know that an asshole like me can date a beautiful, caring person like you.” Tweek smiled widely. “Plus, it’s getting harder to resist kissing you.”

Tweek laughed softly. “Then kiss me, you idiot.”

Craig smiled too and didn’t waste another second hesitating. He pulled Tweek in, kissing him happily. Tweek kiss him back eagerly, his hands slipping out of Craig’s so he could wrap his arms around Craig’s neck. Craig smiled into the kiss, and they both pulled back at the same time. “I’m fucking kicking myself for waiting this long. I could have been kissing you for weeks at this point.”

Tweek pecked him on the lips once more before saying, “We’ll just have to make up for lost time.”

Craig grinned mischievously before pulling back to get them back to Token’s house. Tweek took Craig’s hand again and walked closer to him now. As Token’s mother let them back into the house, she gave them a knowing smile, having known there was something between the two boys.

In the basement, Token and Clyde had been worried about their friends and started playing video games to distract themselves during their absence. Token was the first to notice that they had returned, and he looked at them, giving them a similar smile, compared to his mother’s. Clyde looked over next. Anyone could see the happiness radiating through them. Tweek was pressed into Craig’s side, and their hands were still clasped together. 

A wide grin spread across Clyde’s features, and he dropped the controller to engulf them both in a hug. Craig rolled his eyes as Tweek let out an amused laugh. “I’m so happy for you guys.” Clyde cried, only hugging them tighter. 

Eventually, Craig shoved him away, and they all sat back down. Tweek took off Craig’s jacket and handed it back to him. Looking at it, Craig shook his head. “You keep it.”

Tweek’s eyes widened, “But it’s your jacket.”

Craig nodded. “I have another one.” He said simply. He then said quietly so only Tweek could hear, “And you don’t. If you’re walking to school from the shop and walking home in the middle of the night from there, I want you to have a jacket.”

Tweek nodded shyly, but smiled at him gratefully. He felt his chest swell with happiness as Craig leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. A moment later, a pillow flew at them, hitting Craig in the head. Instinctively, Craig flipped both Clyde and Token off. 

Tweek chuckled and rested his head on Craig’s shoulder as they started a game in Call of Duty. This wasn’t one of the games Tweek enjoyed playing, so he was content relaxing against Craig as he watched them play. A small smile hit Craig’s features and both boys marveled in the fact that they could call each other their boyfriends now.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Tweek stared up at the school. He was filled with nerves, his eyes wide. Biting his lip, he shoved his hands into the pockets of Craig’s old jacket and looked around at the other students. Kenny usually waited for him outside the school. He didn't this day.

Tweek hadn't heard from Kenny since their conversation that lead up to his and Craig’s fight. He didn't bother texting or calling Kenny back, and Kenny hadn't tried contacting him either. Tweek still wasn't sure what he was going to do or say. So, in the end, he was thankful Kenny wasn't waiting for him.

He jumped slightly as a gentle hand touched his middle back, and he glanced over at Craig, giving him a small smile. “Hey, good morning.”

Craig returned the smile, and Tweek removed a hand from his pocket to hold Craig’s hand. “Good morning. Was work okay?”

“It was like almost every other morning. Business is starting to pick up though.”

Craig nodded and squeezed his hand as they walked into the school. A few people took notice of the difference, nudging their friends to take a look. The reactions were similar to when Bebe walked with Tweek into the school. Tweek guessed it was just as strange of a sight. Not many people were used to seeing a gay couple openly hold hands. 

The attention caused Tweek to fidget a bit, and Craig squeezed his hand in an attempt to comfort him. Looking over at Craig, he could see the small smile on his lips as he asked, “Everything okay?”

Tweek flushed but nodded in response. He squeezed his hand again before facing forward and headed to Tweek’s locker with him. As they neared the locker, the both of them could see a figure leaning against it. Tweek felt a pressure in his chest, and he wondered if his anxiety was finally going to kill him. 

Their pace slowed, and Craig asked quietly, “Have you talked to him?” Tweek was too nervous to respond. Giving them space, Craig whispered a goodbye into Tweek’s ear before ruffling his hair and left his side. 

Tweek didn't know why he was nervous. Maybe he was nervous with how the talk would turn out. Really, he felt like he should be angry or at least upset. Kenny had lied to him, after all. He had caused unnecessary arguments and heartache. Still, Kenny was his friend, and he wanted to hear him out. 

Kenny had been watching the exchange, and his eyes narrowed. His and Tweek’s eyes met, but it didn't change the distaste he felt. As Tweek approached him, he could only spit out, “Dating, huh?”

Tweek blinked and flushed as he nodded. After a prolonged silence, he answered, “Yeah.”

Kenny only let out a scoff as he pushed himself off the locker. He could hear Tweek say his name faintly, but he didn't stay around to listen. Kenny didn't know what he was hoping his lie would do, but it wasn't to push them closer together. 

Tweek called out Kenny’s name again, but he had still been ignored. Tweek frowned and turned to his locker, getting his things out. He hurried, hoping he could try talking to Kenny again before their class started. He grabbed everything that he would need and rushed to his class. 

Tweek’s eyes scanned for Kenny in the room, but he didn’t find him. Kenny hadn't gone to class that period, and Tweek found himself watching the door. As the class passed, his hope faded, and by the end of it, he had dropped his head to stare at the unopened notebook on his desk. 

Tweek suddenly found himself lost in thought. He worried that he had lost his best friend. He had hoped that dating someone wouldn’t cause this, but he knew how Kenny felt for him. It wasn’t fair though. He no longer had an interest in dating Kenny, and he made that clear. Tweek didn’t think he should be punished for doing something that made him happy. He didn’t want to believe Kenny could so selfish that he’d want Tweek to be unhappy, not dating anyone.

Leaving the class, Token passed by, and noticed the look of anguished anxiety on Tweek’s face. Being the friend he is, he opted being late for his next class to make sure he was okay. Tweek jumped slightly as Token got his attention. “Is everything okay?” 

On instinct, Tweek nodded his head before stopping and sighing. He shook his head and looked at Token. “I feel like Kenny is turning this whole thing into a dramatized high school sitcom.”

Token held back a small chuckle and nodded as he asked, “Have you guys talked?” Tweek shook his head and looked out ahead of him, dodging passing students. Token continued, “Well, I understand why he'd be upset, but you're still friends. It might just take some time for him to get over it and by happy for you.”

“I guess.” Tweek mumbled. 

Token laughed and gently clapped his shoulder. “Just be careful.”

Tweek looked at him quizzically, but didn't get a chance to question him before he waved Tweek goodbye and jogged to his next class. Sighing, Tweek went into his class. As he spotted Craig, a small smile came to his face, and he took his usual seat in the front. 

This class went by like all the classes following it. Tweek was distracted. This was becoming a persistent issue, and while his grades didn't reflect it, yet, he was worried once they would. Just like his work schedule, his parents kept tabs on how well he was doing in school. Tweek didn’t know if he could handle yet another issue in his life. They were starting to pile up as it was.

The class before lunch ended, and Craig was outside the room before Tweek was even done packing up his belongings. Out of habit, Craig took Tweek’s bag from him and carried it to Tweek’s locker. 

“You look stressed.” He commented. Tweek did his best to give him a comical unamused look, but it didn't work. Craig chuckled softly and leaned closer to him. “If he's not willing to talk to you, don't stress about it.”

Tweek sighed, “I just want to talk to him, clear things up.”

Craig bit his lip and offered. “I can be there, if you want me to.”

“Thank you, but that might make things a little worse.” 

Craig nodded, understanding that. He didn’t want to leave Tweek alone, but he knew that Tweek could handle the situation. Still, he didn’t want to see Tweek hurting and wanted to do whatever he could to make it stop. The flip-flopping in his mind made him anxious, but he wanted to remain stable for Tweek.

Craig glanced around as the crowds of people in the hallway began to thin out. He looked back at Tweek and leaned in closer to him, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of his head. “If you need me to do anything, just tell me.”

Blushing, Tweek looked at him and smiled. “Thank you, Craig.”

Tweek shut his locker, and Craig took his hand again. They walked to the cafeteria, and based on Kenny’s absence during the previous class period, Tweek guessed that he wouldn’t be in the cafeteria. Still, as they walked into the cafeteria, Tweek’s eyes scanned the room. He was wrong, and Tweek instantly spotted Kenny at his usual table.

He squeezed Craig’s hand in an effort to comfort himself. Instead of walking to his new lunch table with Craig, Clyde, and Token, he came to a stop, and Craig looked at him questioningly. “I’m going to try and talk to him again.”

Craig nodded slowly. “Remember what I said.”

Tweek smiled at him before letting go of his hand, and headed to Kenny’s table. He tried going over what he wanted to say in his head, but everything seemed wrong. He couldn’t focus. Before he knew it, he was standing at the table. Both Stan and Kyle looked at him. They seemed, almost, indifferent that he was there. Stan showed a slight look of concern, and he looked somewhere behind Tweek for a moment.

Kenny looked up at him and crossed his arms over his chest. Tweek recoiled just a little before getting the courage to sit down at the table. Sighing, Kenny asked, “What do you want?”

Tweek frowned. He knew that Kenny wasn’t happy, but Tweek knew that he should be the one who was more upset. “What?”

Kenny leaned forward, pressing his hands to the top of the table. “You’re making quite the effort to talk to me. It better be important.”

Tweek opened his mouth but closed it again. He was dumbfounded. Of all the scenarios that he played in his head, this wasn’t one of them. “You know, after calling me and lying about what happened at the party, I should be mad at you.” Kenny frowned at him, but Tweek continued, “You tried making me mad at Craig, and I don’t even understand why.”

Stan and Kyle didn’t even try to pretend that they weren’t listening in on their conversation. Wendy had come to sit next to Stan, and even she couldn’t draw his attention away from it. Soon, she too was completely focused on Kenny and Tweek. 

Tweek didn’t notice, but Kenny shot them a glare before looking back at Tweek. His frown didn’t falter, and Tweek could see him getting angry. “Then why the fuck are you talking to me?”

“I’m trying to be your friend, Kenny.” Tweek said exasperated. His voice was raised, and a few people from surrounding tables stopped their conversations to look over at the scene developing near them. “I’m sorry I didn’t want to date you, but you have no right to treat me or anyone else like garbage because of it.”

Craig had been watching them carefully. He wanted to respect Tweek’s wishes, but he couldn’t stand watching him get upset. He excused himself from his own table, and looked around the cafeteria. Not far from Kenny’s table sat Butters and his group of friends. 

Clyde tried getting Craig’s attention, but he waved Clyde off and went to the blond’s table. He sat with Jimmy, Timmy, and Scott Malkinson. It wasn’t a new friend group. Butters had been friends with them all since Elementary school, but when he began hanging around Kenny, they seemed to fall to the wayside. He guessed that once the falling out happened, they accepted him back with open arms. ‘When it came to Butters, who wouldn’t?’ Craig asked him. He knew the answer.

As Craig approached the table, Butters looked up and gave him a friendly smile. He then promptly moved his things, giving Craig space to sit down. Craig was a bit taken aback, but he sat down without any more hesitation. “Hey Craig.”

Craig nodded, “Hey, how are you?”

“Like every other day,” Butters shrugged, the smile never leaving his face. 

“We s-s-saw you with Tweek this m-m-morning.” Jimmy said with a grin. Craig flushed but nodded. They each smiled at Craig as he looked at them all.

“We always thought he and Kenny were an item.” Scott added, causing a frown to form on Craig’s lips.

“They never dated.” Craig informed them quickly. He wanted to correct that rumor as quickly as he could, and Butters nodded knowingly. He watched him for a few moments before asking, “Can I ask you a question, Butters?”

“Well, sure Craig.” He answered, nodding.

Butters hadn’t hardened over the years, and Craig believed people should be thankful. The world was already filled with angry, selfish people, but Butters was different. Craig remembered Butters as the polite, quiet kid in his classes. He was well kept and usually smiling. It was as if Butters was the personification of sunshine. 

Even though Craig and Butters didn’t talk, Craig still found it easy to open up and talk to him. He guessed it was the inviting nature that Butters radiated. “If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to answer,” Craig began, and this caught the attention of Jimmy and Scott. Timmy looked over to mimic his friends, watching Butters. “I’ve heard rumors, but I wanted to ask you. I was just wondering,” He paused, “Well, if Kenny hard hurt you during your falling out or anything.”

Butters hummed and glanced over at Kenny and Tweek. He looked back at Craig, “You’re looking out for Tweek.”

Craig hesitated but nodded. “He doesn’t want me to interfere, and I’m not going to, but if there’s a possibility he can get hurt, I want to prevent it.”

Butters smiled a little sadly and answered honestly, “There wasn’t physical pain. Well, maybe heartache, but all I can say is that Kenny knows how to hit where it hurts, using his words.”

Craig frowned and looked over at his boyfriend again. Tweek seemed to be getting more distressed every time he took another look at him. His stomach twisted, and he wanted it to stop, but he remembered what he promised Tweek, and as much as it hurt, unless a fist was being thrown, he’d keep his distance. 

Butters, too, glanced over at Kenny and Tweek. “It's almost relieving to find out that they weren't dating.”

Craig tilted his head to the side, looking back at him. “Why?”

Butters shrugged, looking back at Craig. “The rumors made me think he might have been using Tweek to either get back at me or replace me. I would have felt really bad for Tweek if that were true.”

Furrowing his eyebrows, Craig looked back at Kenny. He wondered if it were plausible. After talking with Butters, it seemed that they had been secretly dating. While it wasn’t entirely confirmed, Craig wasn’t going to further pester Butters on the subject. But, Butters had a point. Kenny did begin hanging out with Tweek relatively soon after he and Butters split. They also had a few of the same physical characteristics. They were both blonds with blue eyes. Tweek was a little shorter and chubbier, though. Craig couldn’t help his thoughts from being consumed with Tweek once again. He looked back over at him, his heart beating quickly in his chest.

Furious, Tweek stood up from the table. A few people surrounding the table moved away in fear. It was a rare occasion seeing Tweek so mad. He wasn’t even this mad when he was upset with Craig. He stared, his eyes widening a bit.

“You’re being a fucking child, throwing a tantrum.” Tweek exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. 

Kenny scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “You’re the one yelling in the middle of the cafeteria.”

Tweek’s temper flared again as he responded, twitching slightly, “You can’t always get what you want, Kenny. I’m sorry things happened the way they did, but I was always honest with you.”

“And I’m being honest with you. I don’t want to see your fucking face. Go be a spazz somewhere else, and leave me alone.” Tweek recoiled a little, the anger fading as hurt replaced it. Kenny let out a low laugh, “You’re such a handful. I wish luck to everyone who has to deal with your sorry ass.”

Tweek didn’t have words to respond with. He didn’t want to express just how hurt he was. He didn’t want to give Kenny that satisfaction. Instead, he held onto the straps of his backpack tightly and stormed from the cafeteria. 

Craig’s eyes met Kenny’s, and Craig stood from the table. Butters looked up at him, “Craig, you don’t want to make the situation worse.”

He looked down at Butters and nodded. Craig was thankful for the brief distraction because he knew he was ready to fight Kenny, even if they were in the middle of school. He had looked over, and it appeared that Clyde had followed Tweek out of the cafeteria. Token sat with Nichole, clearly annoyed. 

After a few moments, Stan was standing next to Craig. He frowned at him, but Stan smiled sheepishly. “Smoke break?”

Craig gave him an incredulous look, but Stan simply gave him a sudden stern look, and Craig nodded. He said goodbye to Butters and the rest of the guys before following Stan out the school. Since they were Juniors, the school allowed them to leave during their lunch periods, and Craig used it to his advantage whenever he needed a breather from school life. 

Stan followed Craig in silence to the parking lot, and Craig led them to Clyde’s car. It was large and easy to hide behind. Once they reached it, Craig pulled his pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. He glanced over at Stan. They didn’t hang out, but they didn’t hate each other. Stan and Kyle were the most tolerable ones out of their group. He probably liked Stan the most. 

He noticed that Stan stood, looking around awkwardly, and Craig sighed, offering him a cigarette. Stan embarrassedly smiled at him again, taking one. Once both cigarettes were lit and Craig took a long drag of his, he looked back at Stan. “What do you want, Marsh?”

Stan looked up and bit his lip. “It’s about Kenny.”

Craig rolled his eyes before staring at him. “Your friend is a fucking asshole.” Stan shrugged. “Tweek’s one of the most selfless people in the school, and he fucking stomped all over him like a fucking doormat.”

Stan could tell the just how pissed off Craig was by the influx of swears coming from his mouth. “You know just as much as I do that he isn’t usually like that.” 

“That doesn’t excuse his fucking behavior.” Craig interjected. 

Stan held up his hands in defense. “Believe me, I know. We’ve tried talking to him. He really cares about Tweek.” Craig snorted. “He has a fucked up way of showing it, but he’s just scared right now. He doesn’t think when he’s scared.”

Taking another drag from his cigarette, Craig didn’t answer. Stan watched him patiently though. Finally, Craig sighed and looked down at the ground. “Fucking fix your friend.” Stan couldn’t help but let out a laugh, and Craig shot him a glare. As the laughter died down, Craig continued, “He’s one of Tweek’s best friends, and Tweek was so fucking worried that dating me would stop that. He wouldn’t come out and say that, but I know that’s what he was thinking. I put my hatred for him aside so they can continue being friends, so fucking fix it.”

Stan raised his eyebrows and looked at Craig with amusement. He was seeing a side of Craig not many people were privileged to see. While they had shared a moment like this a while back, it had been some time since then. “We’re going to do our best.” Craig nodded. “We think he might just need some time to cool down.”

Craig groaned and finished his cigarette. “Fucking fine.” Stan laughed again, causing Craig to look over at him again. “I know it’s not my place, but you should pay attention to Wendy more.”

Stan frowned suddenly from the advice, “What do you mean?”

Craig shrugged, “I was at breakfast with Token and Nichole. Wendy and Bebe were there too. She seemed upset that you went out without her.” Stan nodded a little. “She likes you, dude. She wants to spend time with you.”

Stan nodded and stared at the ground, kicking a pebble. Craig watched him. Stan seemed almost uncomfortable, and he wondered if there was a reason behind it. Craig hummed, and Stan looked up at him again. “What?”

“You don’t have to have a crisis over this.”

Stan nodded, “No, I know. You’re right.” Craig raised an eyebrow. “You’re right about everything. She’s mentioned how she wants to go out and do couple things.” Stan hummed and finished his cigarette. He decided that he didn’t want to dive in deeper into his relationship. He tried changing the subject. “Why do you care?”

Craig shrugged again, “She’s a great girl. She deserves to be treated well.”

Stan smiled, “Wow, sentimental, caring Craig. Hell must be freezing over as we speak.”

Craig rolled his eyes before flipping Stan off. He let out a laugh as Craig grabbed his jacket, dragging him back into the school as the lunch period was coming to an end.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Craig brought Tweek back to his house once school was over. The rest of the day had gone on without much trouble. Tweek steered clear of Kenny, and he did the same. Token had found Craig at some point, and the two caught up. It turned out that Clyde was almost just as upset about the whole situation as Craig was. Unlike Craig, Clyde had listened to the entirety of Tweek and Kenny’s ‘talk’.

Craig thought about talking to Clyde to get the full story but decided against it. He knew it would only rile the them both up again, and he wanted to respect Tweek’s privacy. While nearly half of the cafeteria heard the argument between Tweek and Kenny, Craig hadn’t. If Tweek wanted him to know what happened, Craig was sure that he would tell him. 

Tweek had been quiet on their walk to his house, and Craig knew he was busy thinking. He watched him from the corner of his eye. There were things he wanted to say, but he didn’t know if it would make him feel better. Instead, he held Tweek’s hand gently, their fingers laced together. Every few minutes he’d squeeze his hand comfortingly to try and pull him from his thoughts but to also remind Tweek he was there. Tweek would glance over, give him a small smile, and look down at the ground again. It hurt Craig’s heart to see him like this.

They reached Craig’s house, and he hoped that he could get Tweek’s mind off the day’s events or at least get him to talk about it. Token always says that talking helps. Craig had yet to see how true that really was. He could never get the words out correctly.

He let them in, and Tweek stayed close, walking into the house behind him. He glanced around before looking back at Craig. He was taking his shoes off, and Tweek followed, taking his own shoes off, along with his jacket. Craig took it from him and hung it up near the front door. 

Before Craig could get a word out, his mother appeared from the kitchen. Her smile widened when she noticed Tweek was with Craig. “Craig, I didn’t know Tweek was coming over.”

A blush spread across Tweek’s cheeks, and he smiled shyly at her. She went over to Craig, straightening his sweater and then looked at them both. Rolling his eyes, Craig gently took Tweek’s hand again. “We’re just going to be in the basement.”

Craig’s mother arched an eyebrow and nodded. “Sure thing.” Craig stared her down as he walked past her and lead Tweek to the basement. As he opened the door, she added, “Just make sure to keep the door open.”

Craig let out a low groan as he carefully tugged Tweek down the stairs. Once they reached the basement, Tweek looked over at Craig. He was still blushing but looked incredibly amused. Craig turned to look over at him and rolled his eyes. “She’s happy we’re dating.”

Tweek raised his eyebrows. “Your parents know already?”

They both walked to the couch. Tweek sat down first, and Craig grabbed a blanket, handing it to Tweek. He knew that Tweek liked enveloping himself in blankets when he was stressed. Tweek smiled a little and took it, wrapping it around himself. Craig sat down next to him, lightly running his fingers through Tweek’s hair. He blushed darkly and looked at Craig, waiting for his answer. 

Craig nodded. “Yeah, Tricia found out and bothered me about it. Mom overheard, and her and dad then grilled me about it.”

Tweek watched him, “They don’t care?”

“They’re happy about it. I already look happier, they say.” Craig answered after shaking his head. Tweek hummed and leaned against him, relaxing. 

Craig wrapped an arm around him, and they sat in a comfortable silence. Tweek closed his eyes, relaxing even more into Craig. For a moment, he thought Tweek was going to fall asleep, which would have been fine to him. He knew that Tweek needed the rest. Especially after the draining day that they had.

After some time, Tweek said, “I heard you were talking to Stan today.”

Craig shifted a little and looked at Tweek. He guessed that Token had mentioned it, but knowing the school they attended, he could have heard it from anyone. “Yeah, he wanted to talk to me towards the end of lunch.”

Tweek nodded. “Neither of you are sporting fresh bruising, so I’m guessing it was civil.” Craig chuckled softly and ruffled Tweek’s hair. He let out a low whine, moving his head. “Then again, you get along with him, don’t you?”

Humming, Craig nodded, “Him and Kyle, yeah. They’ve never given me a reason to completely dislike them.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Craig considered telling Tweek more of what he and Stan had talked about. He shifted in his spot, thinking it over. He looked back at Tweek, hesitating before saying, “We talked about McCormick a little.” Tweek looked over at him, raising his eyebrows. “He and Kyle aren’t entirely happy with what’s going on. I don’t know what was said between you two, but it pissed them off too.”

Tweek nodded and sighed. His gaze drifted away from Craig as he began to zone out. Craig watched him for a few moments before leaning forward and pressed a kiss to Tweek’s forehead. He felt him fidget slightly before their eyes met again. Craig offered him a soft smile before kissing him gently. 

Tweek pressed back into the kiss but couldn’t fight the smile tugging at his lips. They parted, and Craig ran his fingers through Tweek’s hair again. “What do you plan on doing?”

With a slight shrug, Tweek leaned into him again. “I don’t know.” Tweek paused and added, “I’m still thinking about it.”

Craig frowned a little and sat up. He pulled his arm from around Tweek and took his hand, lacing their fingers together. Tweek looked at him expectantly, but Craig was internally fighting on what to say. He bit his lip. “You know how I feel.”

Tweek nodded. “I know, and I’ve been thinking about it.” 

This surprised Craig. He knew that his feelings about Tweek’s best friend were unpopular. When they had talked in the diner, he knew Tweek was listening, but he didn’t think he would take it into consideration. “Really?”

Tweek nodded and squeezed Craig’s hand. “What you think matters to me, and I tried working things out with Kenny. I don’t want to lose his friendship, but,” Tweek trailed off.

Craig lifted their hands, pressing a kiss to the top of Tweek’s hand. “I think things will work out. It might take a little time, but he’ll get over it.”

“But for the time being, I’m not going to try anymore. If he wants to be sour about the whole situation, then that’s his choice.” 

Craig nodded and pulled Tweek into a gentle hug. It took Tweek by surprise, but he hugged him back, pressing his face into the crook of Craig’s neck. He closed his eyes and rubbed Tweek’s back. “I’m so proud of you.”

Tweek didn’t dare move, but he felt his cheeks warm, and he asked, “Why?”

“You stood up for yourself. You are strong.”

Tweek chuckled softly and pulled back just enough to look up at Craig. “I told you.”

Craig laughed and nodded. Tweek grinned at him, enjoying the laughter coming from Craig. He liked Craig’s smile, and he liked looking at it. He had seemed so angry since lunch, it was a nice change. As his laughter came to a stop, Craig noticed Tweek watching him, and his only response was to kiss Tweek.

Tweek smiled into the kiss almost instantly and pulled back. Shaking his head, Craig cupped his cheek. “Everything’s going to work out.”

Tweek nodded, and Craig leaned in, slowly kissing him again. This time Tweek didn’t ruin it with a smile. He pressed closer to Craig again, his hands running up his chest. Craig felt his skin tingle, and his mind wandered as he suddenly felt Tweek’s chest against his. He groaned, and Tweek took the opportunity to deepen the kiss.

Craig didn’t even hesitate now. He gently pushed Tweek to lie down and broke the kiss to look at him. Tweek’s cheeks were flushed as his eyes fluttered open, looking at him questioningly. Craig let out a low laugh. “You’re very forward.”

Craig positioned himself, straddling Tweek’s hips, and ran his hands up Tweek’s chest. He writhed beneath Craig, causing him to smirk. He liked this reaction and wondered what else he could do to get even better reactions out of Tweek. 

Tweek whined, growing impatient, and grabbed Craig’s sweater, pulling him down. Their lips crashed against each other again, and both kissed back eagerly. Tweek’s hands found their way running up Craig’s sides. Craig groaned again as he pulled back from the kiss, moving to lightly press his lips to Tweek’s neck. 

He hesitated a little, waiting for Tweek’s reaction, which he wasn’t ready for. A low moan passed Tweek’s lips, and he pressed his fingers into Craig’s back. A euphoric feeling rushed through him, and he pressed his lips to Tweek’s neck again, peppering kisses down it. 

“Craig, stop making out with your boyfriend.” Tricia said loudly from the bottom of the stairs. He jerked away from Tweek, and without a second thought, he grabbed a nearby pillow, throwing it at her. She let out a squeal before laughing, running up the stairs. He could still hear her as she left, “Mom, Craig was laying down AND kissing Tweek!”

Craig sat up, groaning, and Tweek sat up as well, looking at the top of the stairs before back at Craig. “Your mom isn’t going to let me come over anymore.”

Craig rolled his eyes. “It isn’t like I can get you pregnant.” Tweek gently hit Craig’s arm and gave him a look. Craig stared at him blankly. He asked as serious as he could, “Can I get you pregnant?”

Tweek stared back at him for a few moments before shoving him. “You’re a jerk.”

Craig laughed and wrapped his arms around Tweek, pulling him into him. He kissed the side of his head. “But I’m yours.”

Tweek shrugged and smiled at him. “Thank you for listening to me, and then getting my mind off things.”

“Of course,” Craig said, pressing another kiss to his forehead. Tweek looked up at him and smiled lightly. Craig kissed his cheek. “Everything’s going to work out.”

Tweek nodded and hugged Craig. “I believe you.” 

When they pulled apart, Tweek glanced at the time. It was starting to get late. He didn’t want to leave Craig, but he knew that the he needed to get home sooner rather than later. He sighed and looked back at Craig. “I should probably get going.” 

Craig frowned a little but nodded. He wanted Tweek to stay. He didn’t know the extent of Tweek’s life at home, and while he was learning more as time went on, he knew he shouldn’t press the topic. Tweek didn’t like talking about it for a reason. 

Tweek stood up and stretched a little before folding the blanket he had been using. Craig watched him for a few moments before also standing. He took the blanket from Tweek and put it back where he got it. Before leaving the basement, Craig pulled Tweek into another brief kiss. 

There was a soft smile on his face as they ascended the stairs, and Tweek thought they’d make it out of the house without having to see Craig’s mom, but he was wrong. He had just put his shoes on, and Craig was grabbing his coat when Craig’s mother came out of the kitchen. 

“Oh, you’re leaving already?” Tweek looked over at her, blushing, and nodded. “I hope Tricia didn’t scare you. She can be a little outgoing.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” Craig commented, and she shot him a look before smiling back at Tweek. 

“Thank you for having me over.” Tweek said quietly, putting his jacket on now. Craig had his jacket on as well and opened the front door in an attempt for them both to abandon the conversation. He took Tweek’s hand, tugging him out the door.

“I’m walking Tweek home. Be back soon!” He called out before shutting the door once they were both outside. 

Tweek chuckled at Craig’s behavior, and they both walked to Tweek’s house. He was happy that the day seemed to have turned around. After everything that happened, he was glad to have spent time with Craig. He had gotten Tweek’s mind off the present issues and a little more.

Tweek felt his cheeks blush a deep red, and he looked over at Craig. “I was thinking,” He started but trailed off as anxiety overtook him.

Craig looked over, raising an eyebrow. “About what?”

Tweek took a deep breath and held it in. Craig began to feel concern as he glanced at Tweek. He looked over at Craig again. He forced out quickly, “I think we need to find a more private place to hang out.”

All concern washed away, and Craig looked at him, smirking. “Oh yeah?”

The redness in Tweek’s cheeks didn’t fade as he looked at Craig. “Well, yeah. Every time we’ve made out we’ve been interrupted.” Craig hummed and nodded once. Tweek continued to ramble, “And, I don’t know about you, but I really…like, really want to keep kissing you.”

They were approaching Tweek’s house, and he could see that his parents were home. He stopped them at the edge of his driveway. Craig looked at Tweek, smirking at him still. He gently grabbed Tweek’s jacket and pulled him into his body. “I would like that. We should figure that out.”

Tweek glanced at Craig’s chest before looking up at his face. Craig smiled and kissed him softly. As he pulled away, he pressed another kiss to the side of Tweek’s head. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

Tweek nodded and smiled. “Thank you, Craig. I’ll text you later.”

With one more parting kiss, Craig waited for Tweek to get inside before heading back to his own. As Tweek entered his house, everything seemed relatively normal. He could hear noises coming from the kitchen and checked the time again. It was later than when he usually came home, and he hoped it wouldn’t cause too many issues.

After his shoes and jacket were off, Tweek headed towards the stairs, hoping to avoid seeing his parents. He made it to the bottom of them when he heard his father from the kitchen. “Tweek? Come here, Tweek.”

Tweek hesitated but took a deep breath, going into the kitchen. His father sitting at the table, his mother sat next to him. Richard looked at his son before motioning for him to sit down. Tweek didn’t say anything but sat down across from his father. He fidgeted a little and looked up.

“You know, Tweek, your mother worked hard to make dinner.” Tweek glanced over at his mother, but he couldn’t read her since her eyes were focused on her husband. He looked back at his father. “You’ve been a bit disrespectful recently. I can’t help but think it’s because of the new people you’re hanging out with.”

Tweek shook his head. “I’m sorry; it’s entirely my fault.”

Richard crossed his arms over his chest. “How are we going to be able to trust you with the store?”

Tweek raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

“Well, Tweek, your mother and I are going to be taking a two-week vacation while you’re off of school in December. So, you’re going to be in charge of opening and closing the shop.” Tweek nodded his head a little. He fought back a frown, knowing that it would only upset his father. “So, I’m going to need you to focus on us more than your friends.”

Tweek nodded and his shoulders dropping. “Okay.”

There was silence between them all as his mother stood up, going to fiddle with something on the counter. Richard looked hard at Tweek. “I don’t like that Craig Tucker kid.” Tweek frowned now. “I hear things about him all the time. He’s quite the troublemaker.”

“He’s not-“

“I also didn’t like that Kenny McCormick, kid either. You really need to think through who you associate with more, Tweek. It reflects on our business.”

Tweek had started to tune out his father. He only had one thing he wanted to get off his chest. “Craig’s not a bad person. He’s really smart and very passionate.”

Tweek was going to continue, but he noticed the look his mother shot at him. It was a warning glance. He guessed she knew something he didn’t. He only got those looks when she was trying to avoid a larger blowup. 

“Do you not care about our business, Tweek?”

He looked at his father again. “I do care. I’m sorry.”

“Then you need to start acting like it. You work tomorrow morning and after school.” He told him. He then slid him a piece of paper. Tweek grabbed it, looking it over. “This is your work schedule. I’ve checked your school schedule, so nothing should interfere.”

Tweek glanced it over and felt his stomach drop. He had barely any days off. He had finally gotten into a groove with how his current schedule was going, but this threw a wrench into his routine. He put the paper back down and looked at his father again. “Thank you.”

Richard only nodded, and Tweek took this as his sign that he could leave. He got up from the table and took the paper. As he left the kitchen, he shot his mother a look, and left, going up to his room. 

Once he was inside, he pinned the schedule to his corkboard before sitting on his bed. Only a few minutes later there was a gentle knock, and he looked at his mother. He frowned at her, and she stepped inside, shutting the door. “I’m already struggling as it is. Now he wants me to work twice as much?”

She let out a sigh. “Tweek, honey, we’re just doing what we think is best.”

“And what’s with the sudden dislike over the people I hang out with?” Tweek continued to question. He noticed as his mother shifted weight from one foot to the other, uncomfortably. “Craig’s my-“

“Tweek, now is not the time for this.” Tweek frowned at her still. “You know that your father and I support you, but you need to focus on your family. This shop is what keeps us surviving. Without your help, we’d be homeless.”

Dejected, he nodded and dropped his head. She walked over to him, gently putting a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her as she offered him a sad smile. “You should get your school work done. You need to be up early for work.”

She barely pressed a kiss to the top of Tweek’s head before leaving his room. She shut the door behind her, and Tweek laid back onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. He wanted to cry. He wanted to talk to Craig, but he didn’t want to worry him. Tweek had made it this far dealing with his parents, and he was alone then. He had Craig now, and he hoped it would make things easier. 

In that moment, he only wanted to be alone with Craig.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Tweek’s new work schedule was taking a toll on him. Instead of paying attention in the classes he was doing well in, he’d do homework for other classes instead. He spent more time studying at night instead of sleeping, but he never missed a work shift. It had only been a few weeks, so Tweek was only hoping his body would get used to the new schedule, and he’d stop feeling tired all the time.

Tweek was resting his chin on his arms and fought to keep his eyes open. Even with the noise throughout the cafeteria, Tweek knew that he’d be able to fall asleep in an instant. He knew that his friends were trying to be quiet and every now and then, Craig reached over to rub Tweek’s back.

Tweek’s eyes fluttered closed, and he began to drift off. While he usually fought the sleep, he was accepting it this time. He could feel bliss begin to take over his body as it accepted the rest it was begging for. It was short-lived, unfortunately. The dropping of a nearby lunch tray brought Tweek back to life, and he jumped, lifting his head up. Clyde looked over, frowning as he watched Tweek rubbing his eyes.

“I think the nurse would let you sleep in her office for a class period or so.” Clyde said to him. Token nodded at the idea.

Sighing, Tweek shook his head. “It’s okay. I think I just need more caffeine.” He sat up, stretching a little, and Clyde continued to frown. 

Tweek dug through his bag, grabbing his thermos, and put it on the table. He had made it a habit to bring multiple thermoses of coffee to school, drinking one before lunch and drinking the other during the second half of his school day. After putting his bag back down, he took the cap off and drank from it for a few seconds.

“Do you have to work tonight?” Craig shot him a look before looking past him.

He felt a pair of eyes on him, and his gaze met with Kenny’s. His eyes narrowed a little. Tweek hadn’t had contact with Kenny since their fight in the cafeteria. Craig had been talking to Stan more, mostly because Stan was bumming cigarettes from him. Stan would also ask him for relationship advice, which Craig always gave half-assed answers. It wasn’t that he didn’t care. He was in the first relationship of his life, and his anxiety still flared up when he was alone with Tweek. Craig didn’t know how he was the right person to go to for that kind of stuff.

Tiredly, Tweek nodded. Craig looked back at him, taking his hand in his. Clyde glanced at Token for a few moments before looking back at Tweek. Craig squeezed his hand, and before Clyde could say anything else, all their heads raised up towards their approaching visitor.

Craig looked at her with confusion as Bebe sat down at the table. Tweek gave her a soft smile before taking another sip of his coffee. Token was the first one to actually say something. “Hello Bebe, what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?”

She let out a small laugh, “Oh Token, such a stud. I can see what continues to draw Nichole in.”

Craig rolled his eyes, “Don’t flatter him. His ego will only continue to inflate his head.”

Token shot him a look, but they all looked at Bebe again. She shrugged before looking over at Craig and leaned forward, putting her elbows on the table. “Have you been talking to Stan about his relationship?”

The other three looked over at Craig in surprise. Tweek raised his eyebrows at Craig, and he only rolled his eyes in response to their stares. “Why are you asking me?”

Humming, Bebe answered simply, “Well, you two have been hanging out. We see you leave the school together at the end of the lunch all the time.”

“To smoke,” Craig said blankly, crumpling up the garbage on his lunch tray. Bebe huffed, and Craig looked up at her. “Were you expecting something more?”

She frowned at Craig. “I’m only asking because Wendy mentioned that things have been different.”

Token asked, “Good different or bad different?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet.” Bebe answered, looking over at Token. “I think she’s happier that Stan’s including her more, but something’s off. I think it has to do with Stan, and she’s starting to notice it.”

Letting out a low groan, Craig said, “I don’t get why this is my problem.”

“If you’re giving him advice,” Bebe began.

“I only told him to pay attention to her more. I’m not feeding tips through a hearing device. That is all him. If there’s issues, that’s for them to figure out.” Craig said after cutting her off. He felt a gentle hand on his knee, and Craig glanced over at Tweek. Through his eyes, Craig could see that Tweek was telling him to be nice. He had gotten better at reading Tweek’s looks. He nodded once, sighing, and looked at Bebe again. “What do you want me to do?”

Bebe sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She looked away from them and to her friend. Wendy was sitting with Stan at his usual table. Craig did notice that they were together more often during the school day. Finally, Bebe answered, “I don’t know. Maybe you can find out what’s going on in his head?”

Craig raised an eyebrow at her. “Should we really be messing with something that’s not actually broken?”

“Hey, you started this by talking to him first.” Bebe accused.

Craig’s eyes widened, “I told him to appreciate her more. I don’t know how that makes me in charge of what happens now.”

“Please Craig,” Bebe begged. Clyde and Token smirked, looking over at him as Craig groaned but nodded, giving in. A grin replaced the frown on her face as she clapped her hands together. “That’s great. Thank you, Craig.”

Bebe smiled at them all before standing up from the table. She looked between Craig and Tweek, smiling softly to herself. Waving goodbye, she turned and left the table. Tweek was confused by the look but didn’t dwell on it. Clyde watched as she left, sighing. Token rolled his eyes and nudged Clyde back to reality. “You’re like every other guy at this school pining after her.”

Clyde’s shot a glare at Token. “I’m not pining after her. She’s just nice to look at.”

Craig rolled his eyes now. “You sound like a creep.”

Clyde looked between the two of them and huffed. He stopped his gaze on Tweek, watching as Tweek looked at the inside of his thermos. It was empty already, and Tweek was frowning at it. Clearing his throat, Clyde asked, “Tweek, do you think it would be okay if we sat around in Tweek Bros while you’re working tonight?”

Tweek lifted his head from his thermos and nodding. “Yeah, that’s fine. Craig usually comes by for a little while when I’m working.”

Clyde grinned and nodded. “Awesome. If you have to work, at least we get to still see you.”

Tweek smiled at him before closing his thermos and stood up. “I’m going to get something from the vending machine.” Craig looked over at him and nodded. “Do you want something?”

Craig shook his head and squeezed Tweek’s hand before letting it go. “I’m good, thanks.”

Tweek walked over to the vending machines, looking over the drink options. He never bought anything from them. He usually didn’t have the money to spend, and when he did, he didn’t want to waste it on a drink from the school’s vending machine. But, he was out of coffee and desperate times called for desperate measures.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a figure approaching him. Their hair was too light to be any of his friends. He looked over, seeing Butters approaching him. He gave him a weak smile as Butters reached him. “Hey.”

Butters smiled back with his usual happy demeanor. “Hey Tweek, are you doing okay?”

Tweek nodded and turned to face Butters. There was a slight look of confusion on his face as he answered, “Yeah, I'm doing fine. Why?”

“You've just seemed really tired and out of it. I hear you work a lot, but I wasn't sure if it was because of everything with Kenny.” Butters answered so care freely, and it made Tweek envious. Butters never seemed to worry deeply over small things like talking to other people. Tweek wished that he could be like that. 

“I haven't talked to Kenny in weeks.” Tweek shrugged a little and looked back at the vending machine. 

“I'm sure you've heard the rumors.” Butters’ voice quieted down even though there was no one around them. Tweek looked over at him and frowned. “People are saying you left Kenny for Craig. Something along those lines.”

Tweek shook his head and put money into the machine, deciding on a drink. “Kenny and I never dated.”

Butters nodded quickly. “No, I know. People like to make something out of nothing. And they're focusing on you and Kenny right now.” Tweek grimaced, picking up his drink from the machine, and faced Butters again. “If you ever need to talk, you can talk to me. I've kind of been through what you're going through.”

Tweek gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Butters.” He nodded. “And thanks for not assuming the worst.”

They walked together as Tweek headed back to his table. Students had begun to crowd around the doors leading out of the cafeteria, waiting for the bell to dismiss them. Butters said again before going back to his own table, “If you ever want to hang out, just let me know. Take it easy, Tweek.”

Tweek had waved goodbye just a bit as the bell rang. He moved to get back to his table but felt a shoulder shove into him as he neared it. It threw Tweek’s balance off; the sleep deprivation didn't help. 

Fortunately, Craig noticed and came to Tweek’s side, steadying him. They both looked at the offender, and Tweek frowned as he recognized Kenny. He sneered at the two, and Craig flipped him off. He had the urge to yell something out, get his attention, and cause a scene. There were plenty of colorful words that came to mind, but he held back to make sure Tweek was alright. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, grabbing Tweek’s backpack for him. 

Clyde bounced to their sides, Token behind him saying, “It didn't even look like he tried moving around you.”

Tweek shrugged, looking back to look at Kenny as he walked out of the cafeteria. Sighing, he looked back at his friends. “I don’t question what he does anymore.”

Tweek did question it, but he wouldn’t let anyone know that. He hadn’t talked to Kenny in weeks, and while they didn’t leave off on good terms, he still missed his friend. There was a mixture of emotions, though. He missed Kenny, but Kenny made him uneasy now. He didn’t know how much he could trust Kenny anymore.

As the days progressed, he felt their friendship becoming less salvageable. Tweek wondered if this was causing more damage to him than he realized but shrugged the thought off. He had other things to be concerned with. His sleeping schedule was one thing. Spending time with Craig was the second thing. 

With Tweek’s packed schedule, he had hardly any time to spend with his boyfriend. Craig never complained. He would show up at Tweek Bros and stay until he needed to be home. On the weekends, Craig, Clyde, and Token would come and spend time there for a while too. Craig was there the most, though, unless Tweek knew his father was going to be in the shop. He’d then advise Craig to stay away for the day.

Tweek hadn’t divulged in the conversation he had with his mother and father to Craig. He didn’t want Craig to overthink it and worry. Regardless of what his parents said to him, he wouldn’t give Craig up. He just didn’t want to give his father any reason to give him another talk about putting the family first. As far as Tweek was concerned, his friends were more of a family to him than his mother and father.

Tweek made it through the rest of the school day without falling asleep. He had been too preoccupied thinking about things he couldn’t change. He knew it wasn’t good for him, but he couldn’t stop it. He didn’t have the strength to focus on anything else. Tweek just needed a break from his grueling schedule.

Clyde offered to drive them all to Tweek Bros after school, and Tweek was thankful for it. He didn’t have to start work right away, since his father accounted for the time it would take for Tweek to walk to the shop from school. Clyde pulled into his usual parking spot, and they let Tweek take a quick nap in the backseat. 

No one spoke, fearing they would disrupt Tweek’s nap. Craig, however, looked through the homework Tweek had to do while lightly running his fingers through Tweek’s hair. Tweek’s body was pressed into Craig’s side, and he did everything in his power to not move. 

Token turned in his seat, reaching out for the homework that Tweek had. After handing it to him, Token also looked it over. A lot of the work had been half completed, and Tweek just needed to finish it up. Token let out a sigh of relief. They had worked out a plan in helping Tweek finish his homework while he was working. They hoped that if he didn’t have homework to do after work, he could use the time to sleep at home instead of staying up all night. 

When the time came, Craig gently shook Tweek awake. He heard Tweek let out a sad sigh as his eyes fluttered open. Craig gave him a small smile and kissed his forehead. “Come on,” He said quietly.

Tweek nodded and sat up, stretching a little. He looked over at Clyde, “Thanks for letting me sleep.”

Clyde nodded too, opening the car door. “No need to thank me. You obviously needed it.”

They all got out of the car and headed inside. “I really appreciate it. I think it helped.” He said, giving Clyde a smile before heading behind the counter to go into the back room. 

Tweek took off his jacket and hung it up before putting on his work apron. His co-worker came into the back, taking off their own apron. After wishing Tweek a good night, they headed out, and Tweek emerged from the room, taking his place behind the counter. Craig, Clyde, and Token were at their usual table, school books out already.

There wasn’t anyone in the shop, but that didn’t surprise Tweek. People didn’t usually stop in until around 5:30-6:00pm. Tweek made drinks like usual and brought them to his friends. After distributing the drinks, he took a seat next to Craig. He asked, looking at what they were doing. “What work do you guys have to do?”

Token shifted in his seat and looked at Tweek. “Actually, we wanted to work on helping you get your work done.”

Tweek flushed darkly, his eyes darting from Token to Craig. “Why?”

Craig gently squeezed his knee. “Because, when you’re done with work, we want you to go home and sleep.” The blush on Tweek’s cheeks only darkened. He looked at Token and Clyde as Craig continued sternly, “So let’s get going.”

Tweek didn’t bother fighting. He could tell by the tone in Craig’s voice that he was serious. He sat with them, working together to finish his homework until customers began to come in. While Tweek tended to the customer’s needs, Token still worked on what Tweek needed to get done. He focused on his Spanish homework, since they both had the same work to do. 

There was a lull in customers, but Tweek remained behind the counter. Token looked over at him. He asked Tweek, “¿Cuál es el comportamiento de tu amigo?”

Tweek stared at him for a moment before answering, “Mi mejor amigo tiene un buen comportamiento.”

Craig blinked and stared at Tweek, mouth slightly ajar. As Token wrote down the answer, Tweek leaned against the counter, raising an eyebrow at Craig. “Everything okay?”

Craig stared at him, and Clyde snickered. “I think he’s turned on.”

Craig’s eyes widened as he flushed. His head whipped around to look at Clyde, and without a second thought, he shoved him from his seat. Clyde let out a yelp as he fell to the floor. He stared up at Craig, seeing him flipping him off. Clyde rolled his eyes and picked himself off the floor. “Well, if you wouldn’t make it so obvious, I wouldn’t have to make fun of you for it.”

Clyde sat back down in his seat, eyeing Craig closely. Craig looked back over at Tweek, and his cheeks were beet red. He had lifted a hand to partially cover his face, and Token laughed at them all, shaking his head. 

Just then, the bell above the door rang, and Tweek looked over, seeing Stan, Kyle, and Kenny walk inside. Tweek stood up straight, waiting for them to reach the register. He offered them a warm smile, and both Stan and Kyle smiled back. He noticed that Kenny hung back, avoiding getting too close.

Stan and Kyle ordered their drinks, and Tweek glanced over at Kenny, wondering if he was going to order anything, but Kenny avoided his eyes. After Stan and Kyle paid for their drinks, Tweek began making them. Tweek glanced up as Stan approached Craig. 

Craig looked up at him as he greeted, “Hey Craig, guys.” He nodded at Clyde and Token. They nodded back, and Stan looked at Craig again. “Are you busy tomorrow?” 

Craig blinked and shook his head. “I’m usually with Tweek.”

Craig glanced over at Kenny before looking back at Stan. He could see him bite his lip a little and nod. Tweek looked up from the espresso machine watching them. The conversation that Bebe had with Craig earlier came to mind. Tweek cleared his throat and said, “I’m sure I can survive a little time apart.” 

Craig looked over at Tweek, who was giving him a look. He stared at Tweek for a few moments before getting it and nodded. “If you’re sure,” He said softly and looked back at Craig. “A little while shouldn’t hurt.”

Stan chuckled and went to grab his drink from Tweek. “Thanks Tweek.”

Kyle came next, and Tweek handed him two drinks. Kyle gave him a quizzical look, but Tweek didn’t say anything. Instead, he nodded towards Kenny. Kyle understood and nodded, smiling a little. “Thanks Tweek.”

Tweek began cleaning up, and he glanced over at Kenny as Kyle handed him his drink. Kenny looked at him in surprise before looking over at Tweek. A small blush came to Tweek’s cheeks, and he looked down, finishing up his task.

Stan finished talking to Craig and looked back at Kyle. “Let’s get going.”

Tweek came out from behind the counter to sit next to Craig, leaning against him. Craig looked over at Tweek, wrapping an arm around him, rubbing his shoulder. Stan watched them for a few moments before saying, “Thanks for the drinks, Tweek.” 

He looked up at them and smiled, “You’re welcome. Come back any time.” Stan and Kyle smiled before leaving the shop, Kenny trailing behind them again. Tweek looked over, watching them go before closing his eyes. After a few moments, he mumbled, “I’m so tired.”

Token and Clyde had begun packing up everything to clear the table off. Craig frowned. “Rest. I’ll wake you if someone comes in.”

Humming, Tweek shook his head. “That’s not professional.” After taking in a deep breath, Tweek forced himself to sit up. “I only have to work for a few more hours.”

Craig gave him a look and the bell above the door rang out again. Tweek looked over at the door, and his eyes widened as his mother came through. He stood up from the chair, flustered. She eyed the group of boys before looking back at Tweek. “You’re supposed to be behind the counter.”

He nodded quickly, shuffling to his usual spot behind the register. He mumbled as she followed him, “Sorry.”

She didn’t respond and went into the backroom. Tweek looked back at his friends, and Craig mouthed a ‘sorry’. Tweek shrugged and smiled at him a bit. Token and Clyde finished packing up and stood. “We should get going, Tweek.”

Looking over at them, Tweek nodded and smiled at them as well. “Thank you for spending time here.” They could hear the customer service tone in Tweek’s voice and nodded at him, knowing to be careful now that his mother was there. Craig stood up as well and walked up to the counter. Tweek looked up at him and noticed Craig glancing towards the backdoor before looking back at him. He leaned in quickly to kiss him softly goodbye. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tweek nodded and smiled at Craig. “Thank you for being here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The three of them waved goodbye and left the shop. It was completely empty, and Tweek looked around. Everything behind the counter was spotless. He grabbed a rag and went to wipe off the tables and pushed the chairs in. Once he was done with that, he grabbed a broom, sweeping the entire floor until it was free of crumbs and other various pieces of trash.

Sighing, Tweek put the broom away and leaned against the counter. His mother had yet to come out from the back room, and he considered checking on her. He was the only one in the front of the shop, and it was a rule that unless it was an emergency, no one was to leave the front unattended. 

As if she knew what her son was thinking, Tweek’s mother came from the back room and looked at him. “I’m closing the shop early tonight to conduct some interviews.”

Tweek perked up. “Interviews?”

She nodded, “Your father decided that we should hire another person or two for when we’re out of town. If they’re good enough employees, we might keep them on permanently.”

Tweek nodded. He wondered if that meant he’d get his old work schedule back. Tweek didn’t want to get his hopes up though. Right at that moment, he just cared that the shop was closing early. He hoped this would mean that he could leave and go home. He responded to his mother, “That’s a good idea.”

She nodded and looked around, seeming to be satisfied with the cleanliness of the shop. “You’re doing a good job, Tweek.” He gave her a small smile, and she concluded. “You can go home now. I can take care of any customers that come in before the interviews.” He looked at her in surprise and pushed himself away from the counter. “Your father isn’t home. I’d hurry before he gets back.”

Tweek nodded and smiled at his mother thankfully. He went to the back room and took off his apron and grabbed his jacket, putting it on. He came back out, and his mother looked at him again. She looked him over before she asked, “Did your-“ She stopped, thinking for a moment and then asked, “Did Craig give that to you?”

Tweek looked down at his jacket and then nodded. He responded, holding back bitterness. “Yeah, he noticed that I didn’t have one.”

She nodded and looked away. When she didn’t say anything else, Tweek took this as sign to leave. He thanked his mother once more before leaving the shop and heading home. He wanted to call Craig and spend time with him, but he knew that Craig would tell him to get some sleep. He wanted to invite Craig to come over so they could lay together, but he knew if his father caught them, he’d be in serious trouble. Thinking about sleep, Tweek wanted to be in his bed at that instant. He’d make it up to Craig, he told himself and went home.

Tweek’s mother got a taste first hand of just how slow the shop was during the times her son worked. Only a few people came in for drinks before she closed the shop. There were only a few people she was interviewing, and the first person was prompt.

She recognized the person instantly and invited them to sit down at one of the tables. She grabbed her paperwork, sitting down across from them. She greeted politely, “Hello again.”

They gave a genuine smile. “Hello, I hope your day has been well.”

She smiled once more and responded, “It has been, thank you. You’re a friend of my son, aren’t you?”

The person nodded, “A good friend, I’d say.”

She nodded again, “Well, explain to me why you think you’d be a good fit for this position and how you’ll exceed expectations working here.”


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Tweek was asleep. It was a Friday night, and he had gotten back from work earlier than usual. Due to the smaller crowd of customers, his mother had convinced his father to close earlier until further notice. Tweek was thankful because he closed the shop six nights out of the week. By getting home earlier, he got an extra few hours of sleep at night.

After work that night, Tweek went straight to sleep. He didn’t have to work until the afternoon the next day, so he was hoping to get a full eight hours, if not more. It was the early hours of the morning when his sleep was disrupted.

Tweek stirred awake as he heard his phone vibrate against the wooden bedside table. He reached over, picking up his phone. Squinting, he tried reading the screen and made out Craig’s name. Tweek answered the phone quickly before it went to voicemail.

“Hello?”

Tweek heard a shuffling on the other end of the phone before Craig’s voice came through, a sense of surprise in it, “Tweek? You’re awake?”

While Craig sounded surprised, there was also another tone that Tweek picked up on. Craig sounded on edge, and Tweek sat up in his bed, rubbing his eyes. He asked quietly, “Is everything okay?”

There was hesitation before Craig answered, “Yeah, yeah. I was just overthinking, and I wanted to hear your voice. I didn’t meant to wake you up. I’m really sorry if I did.”

Craig’s voice was rushed, almost breathless. Tweek flushed and knew that by saying that, Craig was probably overthinking every word that came out of his mouth and every word that didn’t. 

Carefully, Tweek got up from his bed. His room was dark, and he walked slowly to where he had put his sweater after taking it off earlier. He grabbed it and quickly put it on. He already had pajama pants and didn’t bother changing them. He grabbed his backpack, emptied it, and put some clothes into it and zipped it up. “What are you thinking about?”

He kept Craig on the phone as he left his room and headed out of the house. The entire place was dark, and Tweek moved slower, making sure not to trip over anything or down the stairs. He reached them as Craig answered after first giving a sigh, “A lot of things. I can’t really pinpoint it. My head’s going a mile a minute.”

Tweek made it down the stairs and whispered into the phone as he slipped his shoes on, “Did something happen while I was at work?”

He put his bag down and shrugged on his jacket quickly before picking the backpack up again and left the house. Tweek didn’t bother leaving a note of any kind. His parents wouldn’t notice until late in the morning, and then, they’d just assume he had left early in the morning.

Tweek was used to leaving the house without making a sound. He had learned to do so quickly. The first time he woke up his father when leaving early to open the shop, he had gotten an earful about disrespecting those who were sleeping around him.

Tweek’s entire body shivered, and he could see his breath as he walked outside. It was dark besides the dim glow from the street lights, but it was easy to see the light snow coming down. It had to have been snowing for a while since there was a light dusting along the street and sidewalks that had yet to be disturbed. 

Craig let out a shaky breath, “Not that I can think of.”

Craig’s tone of voice only concerned Tweek more. He wished he was already at Craig’s side, and he quickened his pace. “Sometimes it’s things you don’t realize are bothering you.” Tweek told him and paused. He didn’t think Craig wanted to talk about why he was having an anxiety attack. He then asked, “Do you want to get lunch on Sunday?”

There was silence before Craig answered, “You’re not working?”

“I have to work early in the morning, but I’ll be done by noon.” Tweek told him. He could see Craig’s house coming up on the horizon. His pace quickened again. 

“That would be nice.” Craig answered, his voice quieting. “Can I still come to the shop tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Tweek answered. He was becoming winded but hid it well as he talked. He was just coming up to Craig’s house. The lights in the living room and upstairs were off, but he could see a faint light in the windows. He guessed it was from the the kitchen. “Can you do me a favor?”

Confused, Craig replied, “I think?”

“Open your front door.” Before Craig could say anything, Tweek said lastly, “Please?”

Craig didn’t reply, but he could hear something being put down on the other end of the phone. After a few moments he heard the lock to the front door rattle before clicking. Slowly, the door opened, and Craig looked outside, his eyes landing on Tweek.

Slowly, he dropped his phone from his ear and stepped forward. Without a moment of hesitation, he enveloped Tweek into a tight hug. Quietly, he breathed, “Oh my god, babe, what are you doing here?”

Tweek felt his cheeks warm, and Craig’s eyes widened. He held onto Tweek for a few more seconds before pulling back slowly to look at him. Neither said anything until Tweek quietly said, “Can I come in. It’s really cold.”

Craig then realized just how cold it was. He stepped back, letting Tweek into the house. Tweek walked inside, slipping off his shoes. He took off his jacket and Craig hung it up for him. Craig could still feel his heart beating in his chest. He hadn’t meant for the pet name to slip out, but it had. Tweek didn’t say anything, and Craig couldn’t decide if the silence was good or bad. He wondered if Tweek was freaking out internally like he was currently doing. 

Quickly, he asked Tweek, “Do you want hot chocolate?”

Tweek looked over at him, nodding. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

Forcing a smile, Craig walked with Tweek to the kitchen. Tweek took a seat at the table as Craig prepared another mug. They were both quiet, and after a few minutes, Craig placed a mug of hot chocolate in front of Tweek. He took the seat next to Tweek with his own mug.

Tweek looked over at Craig. He seemed anxious, and Tweek was nervous that he was on the edge of another attack but hoped it was just the residual effects from the first one. He reached over and took Craig’s free hand. When Craig looked over, Tweek said quietly, “I liked,” He paused, his cheeks turning a dark crimson again. “I liked you calling me ‘babe’.”

A smile spread across Craig’s features, and he replied simply, “Good.”

Craig scooted his chair closer to Tweek. He let go of Tweek’s hand to wrap his arm around him. He kissed the top of his head before gently resting his on top of Tweek’s. They both drank their hot chocolate and just enjoyed being with each other. 

After some time, Craig sat up and looked over at Tweek. “I can’t believe you walked here.”

Tweek looked over at him and smiled softly. “When I would feel like you did, I had always wished there was someone there to help get me through it. I want to be here for you, no matter what time it is.”

Craig smiled softly and leaned into him, kissing him softly. “You can call me if you ever need someone in the middle of the night.”

Now that Tweek was there, Craig didn’t want to focus on his problems. They always seemed to lessen once Tweek was around. They were still there, and he wasn’t ignoring them completely. He had learned not to do that. But, while Tweek was around, he wanted to focus on making Tweek happy. He didn’t want to focus on his own anxieties when he knew very well that Tweek had his own. 

“Thank you, Craig.” Craig ruffled his hair and stood up, grabbing their empty mugs, and rinsing them out in the sink.

He leaned against the counter and looked at Tweek again. “Come up to my room?”

Tweek’s eyes widened, and he turned to look at Craig. “What?”

Craig’s eyes widened as well as he stared at Tweek, speechless. He didn’t mean for it to come out the way it did, and he knew exactly what was going through Tweek’s mind. “N-No, not like that. We can go to the basement instead.”

Tweek bit his lip, knowing anything could happen in the basement as well. “Your room is fine.”

Craig let out a breath of relief as Tweek stood up from the table. He glanced around before looking back at Craig. He had been watching Tweek, a small smile on his face. Stepping forward, Craig put a gentle hand on Tweek’s back. “Come on, there's someone you have to meet.”

Tweek raised his eyebrows questioningly but didn't get an answer. Instead, Craig led him out of the kitchen and up the stairs to his room. Besides the kitchen, the rest of the house was dark. Tweek was thankful that Craig kept a hand on his middle back, directing him through the place. 

They stopped outside a door, and Craig opened it, letting Tweek walk in first. There was a dim light from the bedside table’s lamp. Tweek hadn’t been in Craig’s room since they were kids. It still resembled the innocent Craig, but there were less cartoon posters on the walls and actions figures around the room. There were still a few model spaceships along his dresser and two NASA posters on the walls, though. Craig hadn’t abandoned all his childhood interests, and they had even developed while growing from childhood to adolescents. 

What caught Tweek’s eye was the large cage in the corner of the room. He remembered Craig mentioning still having a guinea pig. Carefully, Craig walked past Tweek to it. As he watched Craig, Tweek sat on the floor. The cage didn’t have a top, and Craig reached in, carefully picking up the furry creature that Tweek remembered was named Racer. 

Craig held him close to his body as he came and sat on the floor across from Tweek. “Racer, this is probably one of the coolest people you’ll ever meet.” Tweek looked up at Craig, blushing again. He smiled a little before looking down at the guinea pig as it looked up at Craig. “His name is Tweek. I like him so please be nice.”

Craig put Racer down onto the floor, and he slowly walked over to Tweek. Racer sniffed at Tweek’s pajama pants, and slowly, Tweek put his hand near Racer. When Racer didn’t fidget away, Tweek slowly ran his fingers down his back, petting him. Craig smiled, watching the interaction. 

Slowly, Tweek picked up Racer and cradled him in his arms. “He’s very friendly.”

Craig smiled, nodding. “I’m really glad that he likes you.”

Tweek looked back up at Craig, smiling back. “Me too.” He looked back down at Racer. “Does he help with your anxiety?”

Craig shrugged a little but nodded. After pressing a soft kiss to the top of Racer’s head, Tweek gently put him back onto the ground. Racer continued walking around for a little bit before Craig put him back into his cage. 

Craig stood, stretching before he turned to face Tweek again. He was still sitting on the floor and looked up at Craig, smiling softly. Craig hesitated before gesturing to the bed. “I’m sure being up there is more comfortable.”

Tweek looked over at the bed before nodding, getting onto it. Craig watched him for a few moments before sitting down next to him. Shifting, he faced Craig. He stared at him, thinking for a few moments before a slight frown came to his face. “You’re not smoking anymore.”

By the tone in Tweek’s voice, Craig knew he was referencing him smoking weed. Everyone knew that Craig wouldn’t give up cigarettes. They were currently the best stress relief during the school day or at any point when Tweek wasn’t around.

Craig blinked but nodded. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Yeah, well,” He hesitated before continuing, “I kind of had a falling out with my dealer.”

Tweek nodded, understanding what he meant by that. It was no secret that Kenny sold to various people in the town. While Tweek had taken a guess that it was Kenny that supplied Craig with his supply, it hadn’t been verified until now.

A small whisper came from Tweek, “I’m sorry.”

Craig shook his head, “You don’t have to apologize. There’s other people. I’m just lazy.”

Tweek nodded, and both boys stared at each other. It was a comfortable silence, but there was something else in the air. Craig noticed how Tweek licked his lips just a little, and Tweek noticed how Craig’s hand inched closer to his.

Tweek had wanted time alone with Craig for weeks. With his increased work load, it was near impossible to get that. When he did have time off, Clyde and Token wanted to spend time with Tweek as well. Tweek loved them endlessly, but sometimes he just wanted to be alone with his boyfriend. 

He swallowed and bit his lip before saying, “I think this is the most alone we’ve been in a while.”

Raising an eyebrow, Craig smiled mischievously. He didn’t ask Tweek to elaborate. Instead, he leaned forward, pressing his lips against Tweek’s, and they shared a desperate kiss. While the distance that had been put between them made the kiss that much more passionate, neither one of them wanted to have to wait so long to kiss again. But, just in case, Craig furthered the kiss, gently pressing Tweek down onto the bed.

This was new territory for them. They’ve made out before, but Tweek was hyper-aware that he was lying down on Craig’s bed. Craig crawled on top of Tweek, the intensity only rising. His skin tingled as Tweek’s hands slid under his shirt, lightly brushing up Craig’s sides. 

Craig pulled back from the kiss, and he looked down at Tweek. A low groan came from the boy, and he opened his eyes to look at Craig. Chuckling, he ran a hand through Tweek’s hair, pushing it away from his eyes. Teasingly, Tweek dug his nails into Craig’s skin gently, testing the waters, and was pleased as a small hum of approval came from Craig in response. 

“I’m hot,” Tweek breathed.

Craig chuckled again, “Well, duh.” Tweek gave him a look, and Craig pulled back a little to help Tweek get his sweater off. He gently dropped it to the floor, and Tweek laid back down. “You don’t need an excuse to take your clothes off.”

Tweek glared at him lightly, and Craig kissed him eagerly again. His hands ran down Tweek’s chest, and he felt him shiver beneath him. He pulled back, remembering the noises that Tweek made before when he kissed his neck. Unknowing of what was going on, Tweek began to whine again before it turned into a moan as Craig nipped at the skin of his neck lightly.

Tweek’s body arched up into Craig’s, and Craig pulled back, pulling his shirt off. Tweek’s eyes opened, and he blushed as he fought the urge to look over the newly exposed skin and lost. A surge of energy pulsed through him, and he pushed himself off the bed just enough to press his lips to Craig’s clavicle, peppering kisses to his shoulder. 

“Fuck,” Craig breathed out lowly. Tweek pulled away to look up at Craig again. He looked down at Tweek, running his hands through his hair. “You have to tell me if it’s getting to be too much.” Tweek nodded a little. “Or else I’ll keep going.”

Humming, Tweek said, “Well, keep going.”

He was taken off guard, but Craig didn’t hesitate, kissing Tweek deeply before pulling back to tug off Tweek’s shirt. Once Tweek’s shirt had joined his sweater on the floor, Craig pulled him into another heated kiss, and Tweek laid down again

Tweek had no idea what he was doing, and Craig was in the same boat. They both had experiences with others, but neither strayed farther than making out. What they were doing now was a first for them both, and it scared them both but not enough for them to stop. 

Craig’s hands had begun to run up and down Tweek’s thighs, lightly scraping his nails against his skin. Tweek let out a small gasp, causing Craig to stop the movement. “If you keep stopping, I might explode.”

Craig chuckled softly and kissed the side of Tweek's head. He felt nervous, and Craig looked at Tweek to see if he could get a sense of how he was feeling. Tweek seemed to be much more confident than Craig, and it only intensified his nervousness. He pushed the thought to the side. As Tweek’s eyes opened again, their eyes met, and he leaned up to kiss Tweek. 

Craig felt a little shaky from nerves, and Tweek began to sense it himself. He gently put his hands over Craig's and pulled back from the kiss, smiling gently. Craig looked at him anxiously, and Tweek gently ran his fingers through his hair. "Let's relax and watch TV." 

Craig's eyes widened a little, "I, uh, yeah okay." Tweek eyed him thoughtfully. "I'm okay."

Chuckling, Tweek answered, "I know you are." He glanced at his bag. "Where's your bathroom again? I just want to change." 

Craig sat up abruptly, his face flushed. He said quickly, “Let me show you to the bathroom.”

Tweek let out another small laugh, and he stood up after Craig. Tweek brought his bag to the bathroom. At the last second, Tweek decided to shower, wanting to wash the day off. Plus, he felt weird lying in Craig's bed and not being cleaned off.

Craig changed into pajamas while Tweek decided on taking a quick shower. Also, while Tweek was gone, he cleaned up the floor a little and set up a spot of the floor for him to sleep. Craig knew that he’d let Tweek sleep in his bed. Craig wanted nothing more than to sleep next to Tweek, but he knew his parents wouldn’t be happy if they walked in on them sharing a bed. 

Tweek came back into the room, frowning when he saw Craig on the floor. He looked up at Tweek and smiled. “I don’t want my parents to freak if they come in here while we’re sleeping. You’re sleeping in the bed.”

Tweek nodded slowly, “But it’s your bed.”

Craig shrugged, “I want you to sleep in it.”

Tweek didn’t argue but asked, "But we can lie together while watching TV, right?" He knew that Craig had already made up his mind. He slowly stepped on the blankets and pillows on the floor, making it back to the bed. 

Craig nodded, sitting on the bed next. "Yeah, I'm sure that's fine." Tweek chuckled at his answer. Craig flushed again and put something on for the both of them to enjoy. Sleep found Tweek with ease, and he fell asleep quickly in Craig's arms. Craig kept watching the show, though, not quite wanting to leave Tweek's side just yet. After a little while longer, he softly pressed a kiss to the top of Tweek's head and slid from the bed to the floor.

Craig, too, fell asleep easily, and they slept throughout the rest of the night. When it hit the morning, Tweek was warm, wrapped in Craig’s blankets but his cell phone went off. A low groan came from Craig as Tweek fumbled, trying to get out of the bed. 

In Tweek’s half-asleep state, he had forgotten that Craig was on the floor and tripped over his legs. Tweek yelped, tumbling to the floor, and Craig sprung up, looking at Tweek. “Tweek, are you okay?”

Flushed, Tweek scrambled up from the floor. “Fine, I’m fine. Did I hurt you?”

Craig shook his head and watched as Tweek grabbed his phone from his sweater. Frowning, Tweek tapped the screen of his phone before pressing the phone to his ear. He sat on the ground near Craig, who watched Tweek without saying a word. He did lightly run his fingers through Tweek’s hair though.

When the person on the other end of the phone answered, Tweek squeaked, “I’m sorry, I didn’t reach my phone in time. Is there an emergency at the shop?” Craig could hear a voice come through the phone, but he couldn’t make out the words. “Right now? But I don’t start for another few hours.” Tweek responded, glancing at the clock in Craig’s room. Tweek then spoke quietly, “I’ll be there soon.” 

Tweek didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to the person before he heard them hang up the phone. Craig frowned a little and pulled Tweek into him, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. “You have to go to work?”

Tweek nodded slowly and looked over at him. “Yeah, I guess there’s a new employee, and my mom wants me to go in and train them.”

“You have to go in now?” Craig asked, and Tweek sighed, nodding again in response. Craig wrapped his arms around Tweek and pulled him closer before lying them both down on the ground. “I think relaxing for another ten minutes won’t hurt though.”

Tweek laughed softly and looked at Craig. “Your bed’s really nice. It would have been nicer with you in it with me.”

Craig laughed now and shook his head. “I don’t think I ever thought of you as the cuddling type.”

Tweek raised his eyebrows a bit but chuckled. “Of course I am. Being close to you makes me feel safe.”

Craig blushed and leaned in, kissing Tweek slowly. In response, Tweek pressed into Craig. He gently directed Craig to lie on his back before climbing on top of him. Craig broke the kiss and looked up at him. Tweek bit his lip, looking at Craig. He gently ran his hands down Craig’s chest. Tweek could feel Craig react beneath him, and the excitement that grew within him overshadowed the anxiety.

Craig gently ran his hands up Tweek’s thighs, and Tweek bit his lip again. His cheeks turned a bright red as he said lowly, “I want to try something.”

Craig raised an eyebrow and grabbed one of Tweek’s hands. “Don’t do anything you’re uncomfortable with, babe.”

Craig used the pet name again, and Tweek could feel his breath get caught in his throat. He nodded and said again, “I want to.”

Their anticipated ten minutes of relaxation didn’t pan out, but neither boy complained. Craig wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but Tweek blew his expectations out of the water. Gently, Craig ran his fingers through Tweek’s hair and directed him up for their lips to meet.

Pulling away, Tweek flushed, “I heard people really don’t kissing after-“

Craig cut him off, kissing him again. He rolled them over and hovered above Tweek after pulling back from the kiss. “I don’t mind.” Tweek chuckled and pulled Craig down into another kiss. They were interrupted though by the ringing of Tweek’s cellphone. Craig swore under his breath as Tweek reached over, grabbing it. 

“Hello?” Tweek breathed quickly. Craig could hear the voice on the phone, and he could tell that they weren’t happy. He got off Tweek and sat up, watching as Tweek’s shoulders dropped in disappointment. “I’m heading there right now. I’ll be there soon.”

Tweek once again didn’t get to say goodbye, and he looked at Craig. “You really need to go now, don’t you?”

Tweek nodded, “Yeah, my mom’s getting aggravated.”

Sighing, Craig stood up and helped Tweek up as well. Craig left the room while Tweek changed into what he was going to wear to work. While Craig was out of the room, Tweek cleaned up, picking up the pillows and blankets from the floor, folding the blankets. He then walked over to Racer’s cage and reached in, petting him gently. “I hope you adverted your eyes. You’re too young for that adult content.”

He heard a chuckled from behind him and jumped, looking over at Craig. Standing up, he turned to face him. “I think he’s fine.”

Tweek flushed, and Craig held out a thermos of coffee for Tweek. Smiling, Tweek took it from him. “Thank you.”

Craig nodded, “I’m going to get dressed and walk you to work.”

Tweek nodded and sat on Craig’s bed, sipping the coffee Craig had made. Tweek could tell that over the weeks Craig had been getting better at brewing coffee. It wasn’t too strong, but it also wasn’t weak anymore either. Craig changed quickly and picked up Tweek’s backpack to carry it. 

When Craig left the room to make the coffee, no one in the house was up yet. As he and Tweek left his room, the house was still quiet, and there was still no signs of anyone. Craig was thankful, not wanting to come up with a story as to why Tweek was at the house so early. 

It was still snowing when they walked outside, and Tweek zipped up his jacket. Craig glanced over at him, and shaking his head a little, he took off his gloves and passed them to Tweek. “We need to get you a hat and gloves.”

Tweek shook his head quickly, but took Craig’s gloves, putting them on. “I’m usually fine. It’s just because of the snow.”

Craig hummed, and Tweek knew the discussion wasn’t over, but he was dropping it for the moment. Tweek drank more coffee on their way there, and Craig could see Tweek’s pace slow down as Tweek Bros came into their view. Craig didn’t want to make Tweek’s upcoming shift seem so bad and attempted, “Maybe work will go by quicker since you need to train someone.”

Tweek nodded a little, “I hope so.” 

Just before they reached the shop, Craig stopped Tweek and kissed him softly. Tweek pulled back from the kiss and smiled. He took his bag from Craig, and Craig took the empty thermos from Tweek. They reached the shop, and Tweek walked in before Craig. 

There was no one in the shop, like usual, but Tweek didn’t even see his mother. On que, his mother came from the back room, and sighed in relief when she noticed it was just her son. “Thank god, you’re finally here.”

She looked over at Craig for a brief moment before her eyes went back to Tweek. “I’m sorry, the snow made it harder to walk here.”

A few moments later the new employee came out from the back room as well. Both Tweek and Craig looked over at them, and Tweek could feel his stomach drop. He glanced at Craig and noticed the glare and flaring nostrils. 

Kenny stood at the side of Tweek’s mother, with the same smug look on his face that Craig hated. It worsened Craig’s mood. “Come on Tweek, I need to meet your father, and you need to train Kenny.”

His mother turned on her heel, walking back into the back room, and Craig turned, pressing a kiss to the side of Tweek’s head. “I’m going to go, but I’ll be back soon.” Tweek nodded a little, looking up at him. He took off his gloves and handed them back to Craig. Kenny was watching them, and Craig said in a low whisper, “If anything happens or you need me to come back sooner, just text me okay?”

Tweek nodded again, and Craig kissed his forehead before leaving the shop. Tweek looked back at Kenny but didn’t say anything. He walked past him and went into the back room, getting his jacket off and put on his apron. His mother spoke to him, but Tweek was zoned out and didn’t register a word she was saying. 

In an almost robotic manner, he followed his mother back out to the front and stood beside her as she finished talking to Kenny. He stared blankly at the clean counter, wondering how many people had come in that morning. He then wondered why, of all people, she chose Kenny to be hired. It wasn’t as if she liked Kenny. Her and his father always thought Kenny was going to end up like his parents. 

It was an unfair assumption for them to have. Tweek knew, personally, that Kenny worked hard. Kenny fought to make more of himself, and he fought to be the role model in his sister’s life that she didn’t have. There were great qualities in Kenny, and only the negatives had begun to shine through recently. Tweek could be mad at Kenny, but he’d never deny the good things that he knew his friend possessed. 

“Tweek? Are you even listening to me?” Tweek’s head snapped up as he looked over at his mother. With her arms crossed over her chest, she looked at him with disapproval. “Can you pay attention, please?”

Slowly nodding his head, Tweek replied, “Yeah, sorry.”

Kenny looked over at him with interest, but his attention was brought back to Tweek’s mother. As she finished up, she left Kenny’s hands on training up to Tweek and left the shop. Once she was out of the shop and the door had closed, Tweek let out an exhausted sigh. Kenny looked back at him again. “Not sleeping much these days, are you?”

Tweek looked over at Kenny. He eyed him for a moment before responding, “First, you should know how to brew the espresso. Espresso beverages are the most popular thing that’s ordered. It’s simple, the machine grinds the beans on its own, and there’s only one button to press.” Kenny nodded slowly, clearly not happy that Tweek had chosen to ignore his question. “You need to brew it in the espresso shot glasses next to the machine; it can’t go right into the cup. In espresso beverages, the espresso is always added last, except if the drink has toppings.”

Kenny followed and listened to Tweek diligently. On the rare occurrence that a customer came in, Tweek first showed Kenny how to make them before having Kenny take over making the orders. He watched Kenny, impressed with how quick he was picking everything up.

Once he taught Kenny everything he could, they both leaned against the counter. Neither said anything, but while Tweek stared out at the empty space in front of him, Kenny watched Tweek. He felt Kenny’s eyes on him and tried to fight the urge to look over and say anything. 

Eventually, Tweek couldn’t take it anymore, and he looked over at Kenny. “What?” Kenny simply shrugged, and Tweek’s eyes narrowed. “You know, staring is rude.”

Kenny huffed and looked out in front of him now. “Your boyfriend is making you rude.”

Tweek frowned, looking at Kenny. “I’d be a little bit more friendly if you hadn’t completely been an asshole to me. Maybe if you had talked to me instead of insulting me, I’d be a little more open to pleasant conversations.”

There was silence between the both of them, and Kenny looked back at Tweek. “I’m sorry.”

Tweek watched Kenny. He didn’t know whether to believe him or not. Was Kenny sorry? Tweek guessed only time would be able to tell. If he was more civil to Craig and the fact that he and Craig were dating, then maybe he could believe him.

Tweek told him honestly, “I don’t know if I can believe you right now.” Kenny nodded slowly. “You really hurt me.”

Kenny took in a deep breath before looking down at the floor. “I really am sorry.” Tweek nodded, letting him know he heard him. There was a pause before Kenny looked back up at Tweek. “I really miss you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait for this chapter! This week's been a little hectic, and my insomnia completely ruined my Friday night since my body decided that it was going to completely crash then. 
> 
> Remember! If you ever have a question, comment, or concern, you can reach me the best on my Tumblr! I also post writing updates there as well.
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, everyone's comments, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Teaching Kenny the ropes of being a barista wasn't difficult, but Tweek had felt it taking a toll on him. Any time Kenny was working, Tweek was scheduled to work with him, and that was on top of his already scheduled work shifts. 

Craig never said a word, but Tweek could feel that he wasn’t happy. Since Tweek was training Kenny, they had been around each other a lot more than Craig was comfortable with. Tweek couldn’t blame him. He and Kenny had gone from not talking at all to engaging in small conversations. 

Tweek felt bad. He knew this was only worsening the anxiety Craig already felt. Craig never told him to stay away from Kenny, and Craig understood that Tweek had to do whatever his parents instructed him to do. Still, this sudden change bothered them both, and he felt a strain on their relationship. As he spent more time with Kenny, Tweek could slowly start feeling things returning to normal.

Their work shifts didn't drag on as much as long as they had something to talk about. Tweek tried to keep the topics on something work related. Kenny was always the one attempting to change it. Eventually, Tweek stopped fighting it. As long as the conversation weren’t personal, Tweek kept it going.

Like many mornings before, Tweek and Kenny were working together before school started. It was slow as usual, and Tweek found himself dozing off from time to time. Kenny was wiping down the counter for the fifth time as Tweek fought to keep his eyes open. From the corner of his eye, Kenny saw Tweek’s head bob before Tweek shook it, trying to keep himself awake.

Kenny turned to face Tweek, frowning. Tweek didn’t notice and instead, ran a hand through his hair. Kenny watched as Tweek grimaced and groaned faintly, going to wash his hands. He chuckled, watching Tweek. When he was done, Tweek returned to his spot. He looked over at Kenny and flushed when he noticed the stare. 

“What?” Tweek mumbled, adjusted his apron.

“Very health code conscious.” Kenny said with a shrug, and Tweek stared at him blankly.

“Please practice proper hygiene when serving customers.” Kenny rolled his eyes and dropped the rag he was using into the soap bucket in the nearby sink. Tweek pressed the subject. “I’m serious Kenny. The last thing my parents need is a lawsuit due to negligence.”

Kenny rolled his eyes again. “Yeah yeah, okay. Calm down, Tweek.”

Tweek huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Kenny continued to stare at Tweek. Again, he tried ignoring it, but eventually his eyes met Kenny’s. Before he could say anything, Kenny said quickly, “You could take a nap in the back. I’ve been working here for a few weeks, I think I can handle the one person that might come in.”

Tweek mumbled something. Kenny raised his eyebrows, and Tweek repeated, “It’s not professional. Plus, my parents are leaving in a few days, and I’ll be in charge. If I can assure them that you’re good to go, they’ll be less paranoid about putting me in charge.”

“I’m fine, and you can tell them you think I’m doing great. They don’t need to know-“

“Kenny, I can’t.” Tweek interrupted. “I can’t just lie to them. My dad can sense that kind of stuff.”

Kenny walked over to Tweek and nudged him gently. “I worry about you.”

Tweek eyed him suspiciously and didn't respond. Kenny rolled on his heels before leaving Tweek’s side. He went back to the front counter, straightening up the small snack stand that sat next to the register. Tweek watched him. 

Tweek wasn't used to Kenny behaving like this, like normal. He was expecting a jab at his relationship with Craig or having one of his flaws pointed out, but Kenny hadn't resorted to either of those tactics since he began working at the shop. It made Tweek wonder if he actually meant it when he said he was sorry. 

He looked over at the clock. It was getting close to when they needed to leave. He bit his lip and looked over at Kenny. Usually, Kenny wanted to stay until Tweek was able to leave too. He thought it was only fair. Still, Tweek knew that Kenny had to walk to school. When Craig knew that Tweek was working in the mornings, he would have Clyde pick him up. He hadn’t heard from Craig, but he was guessing that it wasn’t going to change today.

Kenny was leaning against the counter again, and Tweek looked over at him. “You can get going.” Kenny glanced back at him and raised an eyebrow. “It’s starting to snow again. You should get a head start to school.”

Kenny shrugged a little and looked out the windows of the shop. It had begun to snow, and it was coming down heavily. He sighed, pushing himself off the counter, and went into the back. Tweek rubbed his temples, taking in a deep breath.

Kenny emerged from the back room, his usual orange jacket on. As he headed out of the shop, he turned to look at Tweek and waved a little. A small smile came to Tweek’s face as he waved back. “Be safe.” He said quietly, and Kenny shot him a grin before leaving the shop.

Tweek was alone again, and he looked at the clock. He didn’t think he would come to like working with Kenny, but he did make the shifts go by more quickly. Now that he was alone, it was starting to drag, and he only had another fifteen minutes of work left.

Tweek began to stack bags of coffee when Craig and Clyde came strolling into the shop. Clyde asked, looking around. “Your replacement isn’t here yet?” 

Shaking his head, Tweek answered, “She’s usually late.”

Craig approached the counter, and Tweek smiled softly, meeting him there. Quickly, Craig pecked his lips before Clyde could make a comment about their public displays of affection. He asked quietly, “Work wasn’t too bad?”

Tweek shook his head. “It was like almost every other morning. We don’t need two people working the morning, but my parents insist on it.”

“Where is Kenny?” Clyde asked.

Tweek waved towards the door as he began making the coffees he usually made for Clyde and Craig. “I told him to leave early. He walks, and the weather’s getting bad.”

Clyde hummed, “Such a great boss. I should get a job here.”

Craig snorted, looking towards Clyde. “You wouldn’t last a week. You’d drop a coffee and start crying.”

Clyde frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s not even remotely true.”

Tweek raised his eyebrows at him as he handed Clyde his coffee. Clyde looked between the two of them before rolling his eyes. Chuckling softly, Tweek began working on Craig’s drink. As he finished up, his replacement came through the door. He handed Craig his drink before going into the back, getting his apron off, and grabbing his school things.

Craig and Clyde were waiting for Tweek near the front door, and Craig smiled softly, grabbing Tweek’s hand as they walked out to Clyde’s car. Tweek looked up at the sky. “I can’t believe it’s snowing so much.”

Clyde snorted, “It’s Colorado. Of course it’s snowing a lot.”

Tweek hummed as they got into the car. He stared out the window as Clyde drove. Scenery passed him but, he saw Kenny come into view. Biting his lip, he looked down as they passed him. A part of him wanted to ask Clyde to pull over and drive Kenny to school too. He felt guilty that Kenny had to walk through the snow. Tweek usually had to do the same thing, so he knew how awful it was. 

He didn’t say anything though. The thought stayed on his mind throughout the morning. He was distracted from classes again, and Craig could tell that something was off. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but that wasn’t his fault.

Lunch was quiet while Tweek worked on assignments that were to be done during the winter break. Tweek thought he’d get a head start on them. The more he finished before school ended, the less he had to worry about. Then, he could spend more time with Craig when he wasn’t working. 

Clyde broke the silence though, “So, how has it been working with Kenny?”

Craig shot a glare in Clyde’s direction as Tweek shrugged and looked up at Clyde. Apparently Clyde hadn’t gotten enough information on Kenny yet. It was an innocent question, but Clyde didn’t think just how much the situation annoyed Craig. “It’s been fine. He’s picking up on everything quickly. Soon, we won’t have to work together anymore.”

“Then you’ll go back to working by yourself?” Clyde questioned. Tweek nodded, and Clyde hummed in response. “Do you think it’s going to get boring without working with him?”

Tweek shrugged slightly, “Maybe, but I’m hoping my work schedule lessens.”

Craig nodded, “I hope so too,”

Tweek looked over at Craig and smiled softly. Smiling back, he reached over and squeezed Tweek’s hand. Token looked between the couple and shook his head, changing the subject, “So, what’s everyone doing during the break?”

Clyde piped up first, “Moving into your basement. You have the largest TV out of all of us.” 

Token rolled his eyes and looked over at Tweek and Craig. Tweek shrugged, “I have to work pretty much every day.”

The other three frowned, and Clyde asked, “What? Why?”

Tweek hummed, looking back down at his homework as he started writing down answers again. “My parents are going out of town, and I’m in charge of the shop while they’re gone.”

“Well that doesn’t sound like fun. Don’t they get that you need a break too?” Clyde complained.

“This is why I’m doing my homework now. So I can spend all my free time with you guys.” Tweek said, looking up at them.

Token interjected, “We can help you with that, if you want.”

Tweek smiled and nodded, “Thanks, but I’m almost done. I just have two more subjects to worry about.”

Craig squeezed his hand again. “Don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

Tweek nodded and Clyde mentioned, “I should think about picking up more shifts at work.” Craig rolled his eyes and looked at Clyde. “You should think of getting a job, Craig. That way you could treat Tweek to gifts galore.”

Tweek raised an eyebrow at Clyde as Craig flipped him off. “I don’t expect things like that.”

Clyde shrugged, “It would be nice, wouldn’t it?”

Tweek shook his head again. “All I want is to spend time with Craig. I don’t need gifts.” Craig flushed faintly and looked over at him, smiling faintly. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to the side of his head, and Tweek turned to smile back at him. “And I’m hoping we can spend more time together during the break. I might try to adjust other worker’s schedules to get some more time off, but I have to make sure my parents don’t find out.”

Craig nodded and Token began talking about his plans for break. Tweek focused back on his homework again, trying to make up for lost time. He began to zone out, though. Thinking about work, Kenny came back into his thoughts. 

He wanted to trust Kenny again, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that. Tweek looked up from his homework and glanced around the cafeteria. Butters was in his usual seat, talking with Scott about something. Biting his lip, Tweek turned to Craig. “I’ll be right back.”

Craig looked over at him and nodded as Tweek stood up from the table. He hesitated before walking over to Butters’ table. Everyone seated there turned to look at Tweek, and Butters smiled welcomingly. 

“H-Hey Tweek. What’s up?” Jimmy asked as Tweek sat down. 

He looked over at him and smiled. “Not a lot, just trying to make it through the day. I can’t wait for break to start.”

Scott nodded, “Junior year has given us the most school work. This break is going to be nice.”

Tweek nodded and looked towards Butters. “What are your plans?”

“Oh, well, I’m probably going to stay home for the most of it.” Butters answered with a shrug.

“We’re still trying to get him to hang out with us.” Jimmy added, and Tweek smiled, nodding.

“You should.” Tweek told him, and Jimmy shot a grin in Butters direction. 

Butters rolled his eyes and looked at Tweek. “What about you? What are your plans?”

Tweek hummed, “Mostly working while my parents are out of town.” Butters nodded. “I was actually wondering if you were doing anything tonight.”

Butters looked at him surprised but shook his head. “No, I was just going to head straight home.”

“I was wondering if you wanted to go and get something to eat.” Tweek flushed faintly, shifting in his seat.

“Dinner, huh? Is Craig aware of this scandalous plan?” Jimmy asked with amusement. Tweek looked over at Jimmy as Butters rolled his eyes. Jimmy only grinned back.

Ignoring Jimmy’s question, Butters answered, “Yeah, that would be nice.”

Tweek smiled happily, “Great! I’ll meet you after school?”

Butters nodded, and Tweek said goodbye to everyone else at the table before returning to his own. Craig gave Tweek a questioning look as he returned. He sat back down in his seat, but the look Craig was giving him didn’t go away. Tweek looked over at Craig, answering his unspoken question, “I’m going out to dinner with Butters tonight.”

Token asked, “Why?”

Tweek looked over at Token and Clyde before looking back over at Craig, “To catch up. After his falling out with Kenny, I kind of stopped talking to him. I also had a few questions about what happened during their fallout.”

“Questions about what?” Craig asked, frowning a little.

Tweek hesitated and hummed before answering, “Just how Kenny acted. He keeps telling me he’s sorry and is being nice while we’re working, and I just wanted an idea if he’s just making things up or if he’s being genuine.”

Craig nodded and ran his fingers through Tweek’s hair, “That sounds like a good idea, babe.”

Tweek smiled at him, blushing from the physical contact. Clyde made a dramatic noise as Craig kissed Tweek’s forehead. Rolling his eyes, Craig flipped him off. Token laughed as Craig looked back at Clyde, who whined, “I think that’s the most you’ve flipped me off in months.”

Craig blinked, “You deserve every one.”

Clyde laughed, shaking his head. Tweek went back to working on his homework to do as much as he could in the small amount of time he had left. He was suddenly anxious about going to dinner with Butters. He knew this was something he wanted to do, and Butters had invited him out before, but it was real now. So many scenarios ran through his head, and it continued through the rest of the day.

If Tweek wasn’t distracted by one thing, he would be distracted by another. He half-heartedly finished the homework that was due after their winter break. He partially felt guilty, but it was done, and that’s all he could ask for.

Tweek met up with Butters outside the school once the day was over, and since neither of them had cars, they walked to a nearby restaurant. While Butters was free to go out, he had told Tweek that he needed to get home before it got too late or else his father would chew him out. Understanding how that was, Tweek agreed to go to somewhere that food was served quickly but wasn’t a fast food restaurant. Tweek got enough McDonalds when Clyde was starving.

They were seated at their table, and Butters looked at the menu, humming to himself. Tweek watched him for a moment before smiling to himself and looked down at his own menu. When they decided on food, and the waiter took order, Tweek looked back at Butters.

“How have you been?” Tweek asked. He shifted in his seat again, “I feel bad that we haven’t really spoken much since starting high school.”

Butters smiled warmly at him. “Don’t worry about that.” Tweek opened his mouth, but Butters hummed before continuing, “I think it would have been a little awkward after everything that happened with Kenny.”

Nodding, Tweek said lowly, “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

“I’ve been pretty good. I’ve got a good handle on my classes, and things at home have gotten better.” Butters beamed. “Now to get a grip on the romance in my life, and we’ll be good to go.”

Tweek raised his eyebrows. “Is there someone you’re interested in?”

Butters flushed and shook his head quickly. “No, not right now. But I’m ready to focus on it, you know? I spent all my time focused on other things that romance was pushed to the side.” Tweek nodded in understanding. “After everything that happened with Kenny, I think I kind of strayed away from wanting anything.”

Tweek nodded again, “I get that. Not a lot of people really know what was between you two or what happened, but it seemed to be pretty serious.”

“It was serious. He was my first love, but things happened, and words can’t be taken back.” Butters told him. “But that was years ago, now. While he’ll always have a place in my heart, I’m ready to move forward.”

Tweek smiled, “Good for you. You deserve to be happy.” Butters grinned back at him, and Tweek took in a deep breath before asking, “Can I ask you a question about Kenny?”

Butters tilted his head with interest and nodded. Tweek stared at him for a few moments before breaking eye contact. He looked down at the table top, trying to formulate his thoughts in a coherent stream. Butters waited patiently, something Tweek wasn’t entirely used to.

Finally, Tweek looked back up at Butters and asked, “After your falling out with Kenny, did he try getting you to talk to him again, by being nice and saying things he knew you wanted to hear?”

Butters hummed, thinking for a moment before answering Tweek simply, “He tried.” Tweek stared at Butters, nodding slowly. “I wouldn’t talk to him though. I can’t tell you if Kenny’s being sincere. I wish I could, Tweek.”

“I want to forgive him. I want to be friends again, but I’m just worried that he’s planning something.” 

“I understand that.” Butters watched Tweek for a few moments. “Listen to your gut. If he stomps all over you, kick him to the curb.”

Tweek laughed and nodded, “Sounds like a good idea.”

“I have a good idea from time to time.” Butters grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry with how long it's been since the last update. I feel absolutely terrible. Last week was hectic at work and in my personal life. Things are still a little busy, but the next chapter is going to be a long one. It's the Christmas chapter! Look forward to it being out on either Sunday or Monday!
> 
> Thank you again for reading, and again, I'm so sorry for the long wait.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

A crashing filled the store before laughter took its place. Tweek stared, wide-eyed at the mess that was sprawled out over the floor. With a grin on his face, Kenny spun to face Tweek, giving him a thumbs up. Tweek ran a hand down his face before standing up straighter.

“You know, I didn’t think when you suggested coffee bowling, that you were serious.”

The grin on Kenny’s face didn’t falter, and he set up the cups again in the typical pin formation. He briskly walked to Tweek, handing him the bag of coffee he had used. “Your turn.”

After a moment of hesitation, Tweek grabbed the bag of coffee. “I don’t think we can sell this to customers after throwing it at empty cups.”

Kenny rolled his eyes, “Then brew it and make people drink it. But, that’s not important right now. Right now, you have to beat my spare.”

Tweek blinked and nodded a little. He walked out from behind the counter and stared at the cups. Biting his lip, he took a deep breath before rolling the bag of coffee at them. Both he and Kenny watched in anticipation as the bag of coffee knocked down all the cups. Tweek jumped up, grinning, and looked at Kenny. “I’m better than you!”

He playfully rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Beginners luck.”

Humming, Tweek smiled still and went back behind the counter, “Even so, I still beat you.”

Kenny began setting up the cups again. “You know, bowling is more than one frame.”

Tweek shrugged. It was Christmas Eve, and the store was completely dead. Tweek had been working the entire day, but since Kenny had gotten there, they only had a handful of customers. There was still a few hours before Tweek was instructed to close the place, and he didn’t know how else he was going to entertain himself than this.

He watched as Kenny stared at the cups in concentration. It was silent throughout the place, and Tweek considered breaking it but didn’t want to break Kenny’s focus. He watched as Kenny swung his arm back and forth a few times before tossing the bag of coffee, only knocked down five cups. Swearing under his breath, he looked back at Tweek. “You’ve sucked the talent from me.”

Tweek chuckled and shook his head. “Now you’re going to have to find another way to entertain yourself.”

Pouting, Kenny turned to clean up the cups before putting the bag of coffee onto the counter. He leaned into the counter, looking at Tweek. “I think it’s your turn to come up with something.”

Tweek shook his head. “There’s really nothing to do.” Kenny rolled his eyes, and Tweek added, “You can go home if you want to. I’m sure I can handle the place on my own. Plus, it’s Christmas Eve, and I know you’d rather be at home with Karen.”

Kenny nodded a little, “What about you? You’re just going to stay here until close. And then what?”

Tweek shrugged, “Then I’m just going to go home.”

Nodding again, Kenny hummed and looked out the window. It was dark outside, and snow was coming down. Tweek watched him curiously. After a few moments, Kenny looked back at Tweek. “Why isn’t Craig here? He usually jumps at the chance to be here whenever he can, especially with your parents out of town.”

The eye contact unnerved Tweek, and he looked down to avoid Kenny’s gaze. “It’s Christmas Eve, he’s with his family.”

Kenny hummed again, “Are you sure?” Tweek looked up again and gave him a questioning look. “Stan told me that they were hanging out tonight.”

Nodding slowly, Tweek kept eye contact this time, doing his best not to show any emotion that he was really feeling. He didn’t need Kenny to pick up on it. If he did, he would do something about it. Tweek trusted Craig, that wasn’t the issue. It was that had talked to Craig earlier, and Craig didn’t tell him he was seeing Stan. Maybe it wasn’t planned. That’s what Tweek told himself to stop jumping to any other worse conclusion.

“You know, that’s what friends do. They hang out with each other. Craig hangs out with Clyde and Token too.”

Kenny rolled his eyes. “It just seems that he and Stan are hanging out a lot more recently, and it just seems out of the blue. I mean, that’s what happened between you two. You started randomly hanging out, and then he decided that he liked you.”

Tweek looked away from Kenny before saying, “Stan’s dating Wendy, and he’s not even into guys. Whatever you’re insinuating doesn’t even make sense.”

Kenny hummed and pushed himself off the counter. He twirled before joining Tweek behind the counter, standing at his side. Tweek raised an eyebrow. “I have a story.” Slowly, Tweek nodded, and Kenny hummed again before continuing. “One time Stan and I were hanging out, and Craig came by to buy some weed. He stuck around, and we all smoked together. One thing led to another, and he and Stan started making out.”

Tweek blinked and nodded again. Slowly, his eyes narrowed. “Stan’s into guys?”

Kenny shrugged, “I’m guessing by the way he had his tongue down Craig’s throat.”

Tweek frowned now, crossing his arms over his chest. “That’s not public knowledge.” Kenny shook his head slightly. “You just outed Stan to me. That’s not fair. If he wanted people to know, they’d know. You, him, and Craig are the only ones who knew this happened, and now you’ve told me.”

Kenny rolled his eyes. “I know you’re not going to go around telling people.”

Tapping the counter with his index finger, Tweek looked out the windows. “Still, that’s not cool, Kenny.”

Kenny watched as Tweek stepped away from the counter and went into the back room. He stared at the door, frowning. Whatever he had hoped was going to happen by telling Tweek that information didn’t pan out. After a few minutes, Tweek came back out and handed a bag to Kenny.

Raising an eyebrow, Kenny took the bag and looked inside. Tweek didn’t say anything as Kenny dug through it. Inside was various pastries from the shop plus other food for Kenny to make dinner for him and Karen. Biting his lip, he looked back at Tweek.

He gave him half a smile as he handed out an envelope. Kenny eyed it before gently taking it from Tweek’s hand. “Your bonus.” Tweek said softly.

Kenny raised an eyebrow, looking back at Tweek. “I’ve been working here for less than two months.” Tweek shrugged. “And I know that you get shit for working here. You should keep this.”

Tweek shook his head. “It’s not mine to take. You deserve it, Kenny. Have a good Christmas, okay?”

Kenny hesitated before stepping forward. He lifted a hand and lightly ran it through Tweek’s hair. Tweek’s cheeks flushed darkly, and his eyes widened as Kenny gently pressed a kiss to Tweek’s forehead. He flinched back but not fast enough.

The chime of the store’s bell rang throughout the shop, and Tweek stepped away from Kenny frantically, giving him a look of warning before turning to face their guest. Tweek felt his stomach drop. Craig stood in the middle of the shop, looking between Kenny and Tweek with hurt adorning his face. 

Waving his hand a little, Craig forced out a laugh. “Don’t stop because of me. Feel free to continue on.”

Quickly, Craig turned and left the store, Tweek calling after him, “Craig, wait!”

Craig didn’t listen, and Tweek watched as he quickly crossed the street and walked away. He could hear a ringing in his ears as he looked over at Kenny. It was evident that Kenny felt guilty. “Tweek, I’m-“

Cutting him off, Tweek said quickly. “Just go home, Kenny.”

“Twe-“

“Kenny, go home.” Tweek said louder and more sternly. Kenny stared at Tweek for a few moments before nodding. He grabbed his things, but didn’t even put on his jacket before leaving the store. 

Once Tweek heard the door shut again, he went into the back room and pulled out his cell phone. Through blurred vision, he called Craig and put the phone to his ear. He could feel the twisting in his stomach worsen after every ring of the dial tone.

He heard Craig’s voicemail message and shut his eyes tightly. Once the beep sounded, Tweek rushed out, “Craig, I’m sorry. I don’t know what you saw, but it wasn’t what you think it is. Kenny was being Kenny, and I’m sorry. Please come back. Please call me back.” Tweek paused. “Please be safe.”

Tweek hung up the phone and looked at it before putting it back into his pocket. He blinked back tears and sat down in one of the chairs in the room. He focused on his breathing, trying to stop himself from hyperventilating. 

Tweek didn’t know how long he had been sitting there, but he heard the bell above the shop’s door ring again. Tweek lifted his head and stared at the door before scrambling to his feet and emerged from the back room. His eyes widened at the person.

Craig was standing there again. His face was red from the cold wind from outside and water dripped from the bits of hair that stuck out from beneath his hat. Tweek came out from behind the counter. “Craig,” He breathed.

Craig pulled off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. He looked at Tweek. “I know it was nothing. But, Tweek, I’ve been so nervous that something might happen.” Tweek frowned a little. “I trust you. It has nothing to do with that. I don’t trust him! And for good reason, considering his track record.”

Tweek sighed and grabbed Craig’s hand to break him from his thought. “Craig, I’ve told you that I can handle my own. I know how to defend myself.”

Craig nodded a little. He squeezed Tweek’s hand back before pulling Tweek into him. He wrapped his arms around Tweek tightly. “I know you can, but I don’t want it to resort to that. I want you to be safe at all times.”

Tweek sighed, relaxing into Craig. “I’m sorry. Nothing happened.” He pulled back a little to look up at him. “It was really innocent. He was just happy to get his Christmas bonus.”

Craig raised an eyebrow. “So he kisses you?”

“I know it’s not okay.” Craig nodded slowly.

They stared at each other, and Craig felt as if he could choke on the silence. Neither knew what to say. Craig ran a hand through his hair again and turned away from Tweek. Quietly, Tweek said, “Nothing happened and nothing would have happened-“

Craig cut him off. “I’m not mad at you!”

Startled, Tweek flinched back, and Craig turned to him again. He let out a shaky breath and stepped forward. “I’m sorry.” Tweek nodded. “I’m really just resisting the urge to go and punch him out.”

Tweek shifted on his feet, “I don’t know what his plans were, or if it was just something innocent to him, but can we stop dwelling on it for this moment? It’s Christmas, and I don’t want to think about it right now. I just want to spend time with you.”

Nodding slowly, Craig enveloped Tweek into his arms again, holding him close. He’d let it go, but it wouldn’t be permanently. He’d settle this, but he’d do it on his own. He didn’t want to add more stress onto Tweek’s plate. “Okay, let’s do that.”

Tweek nodded and let out a breath of relief. He leaned into Craig, relaxing again. With all the stress from the current situation and lack of sleep he had been getting, Tweek began to feel light-headed. He stepped back from Craig, a bit wobbly, and Craig kept a hand on him, keeping him steady. “What’s wrong?”

Tweek shook his head, “I just need to sit down.” Craig directed him to a chair, helping him sit down. “This was all just a little too much.”

Craig sat down in the chair next to Tweek. “Have you been getting sleep?” Tweek shrugged a little. Craig frowned and watched Tweek as he closed his eyes, slouching in his seat. “I’m going to shut everything down. You’re going home.”

Tweek shook his head frantically, opening his eyes. “I can’t do that. My parents told me exactly when I need to close, and if they found out-“

“They aren’t here. They aren’t going to know. No one’s going to come in; there’s no reason for you to be here. I’m taking you home.”

Tweek kept his eyes on Craig. He knew that when Craig made up his mind, it would take hell freezing over to change it. Slowly he nodded and began to stand up, but Craig gently put his hand on Tweek’s arm and shook his head, “Craig..”

“I’ve seen you close a countless amount of times in the past week. I think I can handle this. You relax.”

Tweek hesitated but sat back down. He watched as Craig stood again and went behind the counter, shutting off the machines. Craig worked swiftly, cleaning everything that needed to be cleaned and packed up all the excess food. Usually Tweek would donate it to someone, but Craig decided they’d bring it back to Tweek’s house this night.

Craig went into the back room, searching for Tweek’s things, which he found. He shut the lights off back there before coming back out. He handed Tweek his jacket as he took the apron from him. As Craig put the apron back, Tweek put the jacket on and zipped it up. Craig was looking everything over one last time before picking up the bag and food and returned to Tweek.

Smiling softly, Tweek looked up at him. “You did a good job.”

“Come on, babe.” Craig said gently, taking Tweek’s hand. He steadied Tweek before they headed out of the shop. Tweek locked up, and they both headed to Tweek’s house. 

They were quiet, but Craig kept Tweek close to him. The wind had picked up, and it stung their skin. They were halfway to Tweek’s house when Craig took off his hat, putting it on Tweek. He looked up at Craig questioningly, but Craig simply kissed his forehead and continued walking.

Tweek took out his house keys as they approached the house. After unlocking the door, he let Craig go in first before he followed. He turned on the lights as he shut the front door and locked it. Craig was looking around, a frown on his face. 

“No Christmas tree?” Tweek shook his head. “No decorations at all?”

Tweek shook his head again. “My parents left for vacation. Since they’re not going to be here for Christmas, they didn’t think there was a point in putting anything up.”

Craig nodded and looked around again before looking back at Tweek. He had yawned and was rubbing his eyes. Gently, Craig put a hand on his back, “Come on, you should go lie down.”

Craig followed as Tweek walked up the stairs and went to his room. Tweek dropped his stuff onto his desk and had just finished changing into pajamas before crawling into bed. Craig had asked his Tweek wanted dinner or anything, but Tweek waved him off, and was nearly half asleep when his head hit the pillow. Craig watched him and smiled softly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

“I’m going to go get something to drink.” He told Tweek. He heard Tweek hum something, but didn’t move, and Craig moved quietly, leaving the room.

When he got there, Craig looked around the living room again. He knew that Tweek gave him a reason for the absence of Christmas spirit, but he wasn’t accepting it. He walked into the kitchen, getting himself a drink from the fridge as he took out his phone. Scrolling through his contacts, he looked for someone to call, and there was only one person that came to mind. It was late, but he assumed who he was trying to contact wasn’t asleep yet.

He hit success, and quietly grabbed Tweek’s keys before leaving the house for a little while. Tweek had been so exhausted, no amount of noise could wake him up nor did he stir from sleep at any point. Craig had finished his plan after a few hours and stood in the living room, looking around. 

When he was content, he sat on the couch and closed his eyes. He had set an alarm on his phone and dozed off for a bit. A phone call beat his alarm, though, and he stirred awake, picking up his phone. Without looking at the screen, he answered the call. 

“M’ello?” He breathed, rubbing his eyes.

His mother’s distinct voice came through the other end, “Craig, I told you to tell me if you weren’t coming home.”

He pulled his phone away from his ear to check the time. It was already morning, and he knew that Tricia was probably waiting impatiently to open her presents. “I’m sorry. I meant to, but I forgot.” He could see her eyes rolling through the phone, so he continued, “I’m at Tweek’s. I walked him home last night, and no one’s here, and I didn’t think he should spend Christmas alone.”

This piqued her interest, “His parents aren’t around?”

“No,” Craig hesitated. “They went on vacation.”

There was a silence over the phone, and Craig wondered if he shared too much. He was also nervous that maybe this was something that Tweek didn’t want to get out. Finally, his mother said, strained, “Well, that’s just not right.”

“I know, which is why I’m here.”

She sighed, “We’re opening presents without you.”

“That’s fine,” Craig mumbled.

“You’re a good, kid. Let me know when you’ll be coming home.” She finished and after affirming that he would update her, they ended the call. He turned off his phone’s alarm and stood up, stretching.

Craig looked around at the scene around him and smiled softly. Now, he only hoped that Tweek would like it too. He went up to Tweek’s room. The boy was still sleeping in his bed, and Craig sat on the edge. He put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Tweek.”

A low hum came from him, but he didn’t budge. Next, Craig leaned in and pressed a kiss to his forehead. A few minutes later, Tweek’s eyes fluttered open, and he looked at Craig. There was a soft smile on Craig’s face, and his said lowly, “Come on, we have to go downstairs.”

Tweek raised his eyebrows, sitting up a little. “Why? What’s wrong?”

Craig shook his head, “There isn’t anything wrong. We just need to get down there.”

Tweek stared at Craig for another moment or two before getting up from the bed. Craig ran a hand through Tweek’s hair, taming it. He then grabbed Tweek’s hand and walked with him down the stairs. About halfway down, Craig turned to look at Tweek’s face. His eyes had widened as the lights of the Christmas tree came into view.

Tweek hurried and rushed into the living room, spinning around to look at it all. There was a large Christmas, completely decked out. Stockings were hung on the windowsill, and there appeared to be pillow and blanket fort set up near the TV. There were string lights hung around the room, mixed with tinsel. 

Tweek spun to look back at Craig, his eyes wide. “When..how..why?”

Chuckling lowly, Craig stepped towards Tweek and took his hands into his again. “I couldn’t accept you spending Christmas alone, and I couldn’t stand the thought of you not even having a Christmas tree. I called in a few favors last night while you were sleeping and got this done.”

The smile didn’t fade from Tweek’s face, and he blinked back tears, bringing Craig into a tight hug. “This is so amazing, thank you.”

Craig kissed the top of his head. “I thought we could just spend the day relaxing, watch some Christmas movies, and drink a lot of coffee or hot chocolate, whichever.”

Tweek nodded and pulled back, looking at him again. “Some much needed alone time.”

Craig laughed and nodded, “Exactly.”

Tweek ran his hands up Craig’s chest and looked at him. “I love you, Craig.”

Craig’s eyes widened slightly, but he knew the only proper response. He felt it, and he had felt it for some time, but he couldn’t get it out then. He let out a low hum and kissed Tweek softly before pulling back, “I love you too. Merry Christmas, Tweek.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I hope you all have had a wonderful and safe holiday.


	18. Chapter Eighteen

The halls were emptier than usual. Being the first day back from their winter break, the students weren’t eager to return to their normally scheduled routine. For most, school was the last thing on their minds, and most would come to regret that, having forgotten the homework that was due. 

The emptiness made it easier for Craig to spot who he was looking for. Once their eyes met, Craig swiftly made it through the hall, shoving Kenny into the locker just enough to shock Kenny but not enough to bring much attention to them. Kenny stared hard into Craig’s eyes, shoving him away.

“What’s your problem?” He snapped, voice low.

Craig’s eyes widened a slightly, and Kenny shrunk away, his back pressed firmly against the lockers. Before he could say anything else, Craig hissed, “Are you really asking that question?”

Swallowing hard, Kenny stared at him before answering, “Aren’t we over this? Isn’t this in the past? Tweek is sure going to freak if he finds out that you’re causing a scene.”

“You sure talk a lot for someone who’s walking the line between life and death.” Kenny scoffed, but Craig continued, “A person with dignity knows not to mess around with someone in a committed relationship.”

Craig stepped back, putting more space between the two. He had been closer to Kenny for longer than he’d ever want. He might have tolerated Kenny’s presence in the past, but that was out the window now. 

More students began to pour into the halls, but that didn’t faze Craig. He was waiting for an answer or admission of guilt. It got to the point that he’d take anything. Craig just wanted Kenny to back off. 

Kenny glanced around them before looking back at Craig, crossing his arms over his chest. “You're a big baby. If you think no one’s ever going to flirt with Tweek, you’re blind.”

“That’s not even the point.” He retorted. Kenny shrugged, and Craig’s frown deepened. “You’re actively trying to get between us, hoping he’ll dive into your arms.”

Kenny stepped forward, causing Craig to step back. A small smirk flickered on Kenny’s lips as he said lowly, “I didn’t realize you were so insecure in your relationship, Tucker. What would Tweek think if he found out that you didn’t trust him?”

Fear flashed through Craig’s features, and Kenny was quick to notice. He knew that he was getting to Craig, but the halls became more crowded, and he didn’t need a blow up before classes even started. He might have taken a few steps back from fixing his friendship with Tweek, but if Craig had an outburst, he assumed it would be the nail in the coffin.

He patted Craig’s shoulder and slipped from between him and the locker. Craig’s eyes followed him, “I had nothing against you two being friends. Hell, I encouraged it, but you’re taking it too fucking far.”

Kenny shook his head. “There’s something there.”

Craig watched as Kenny walked away and headed to his class. Both boys kept their composure, and Kenny kept his head held high. A sense of victory pulsed through him, knowing that Craig would fixate on their brief conversation. It would drive a wedge between him and Tweek. Kenny smirked as he played his anticipated outcome repeatedly in his head. 

His eyes flickered to a person, looking in his direction, and his gaze met with Butters. The usual void gaze he gave him was gone. Kenny felt a knot tie in his stomach as he saw the scowl on Butters’ face. They hadn’t talked in years, but Butters was neutral towards him, never showing emotion. Kenny’s confidence faltered, his steps coming to a stop.

Butter shrunk back a bit, shutting his locker door. As Kenny went to say something, Butters quickly walked past him. Kenny turned in his spot to watch Butters. The blond quickly weaved through the hall, and Kenny lost him. The arrogance that was once there was gone now, and Kenny sulked to his class. As he continued on his way, Butters turned to look back at him, shaking his head. 

Craig leaned against Tweek’s locker, waiting for him to get to school. He was alone until he saw a figure approach him from the corner of his eyes. He glanced over, seeing Token. He had that usual stern look on his face when had something to say, but Craig couldn’t figure out what he had done to deserve a lecture.

“At least give me a reason for the up-“

Token cut him off, “Shut up, Craig.” Craig looked away from Token, looking back out at the sea of students. “What are you doing?”

“Quite literally just standing here.” 

“Approaching Kenny, starting shit,” Token clarified. Craig shrugged, causing Token to continue, “I know he pissed you off. I know he’s overstepping boundaries, but it’s not your job to do anything. This isn’t between you two.”

Craig snapped, “It is now. He’s purposely doing what he’s doing to piss me off. Everything he’s doing is an attack against me.”

“You need to talk to Tweek before you act out. How do you think he’s going to feel when he finds out you’re trying to settle things without him?” Craig stared at the floor shrugging a little. “You know as well as I do that he already feels guilty about all of this even if he shouldn’t.” 

“I don’t want him to deal with it. He’s already dealing with a lot.”

Token nodded his head. “You still need to communicate with him. Leaving him in the dark and making decisions involving him, without him, are only going to make everything go south real fast.”

Craig nodded and ran a hand through his hair as he looked out at the students again. He didn’t say anything else. He was mulling over what Token had said, and it was appreciated. Token stood next to him, also waiting for their friends but not for long.

Clyde’s loud voice boomed through the hall, and Craig rolled his eyes as he leaned against Tweek’s locker. Both boys came into view, and Craig pushed himself off, going to greet Tweek. The smile on Tweek’s face widened as Craig pulled him into a hug. It was Clyde’s turn to roll his eyes as he went to Token. “It’s not like he didn’t see him last night.”

Token laughed and nudged Clyde, “If you were dating someone, you’d be ten times worse.” Clyde scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Token laughed again, and Tweek went to his locker, opening it up. “So Tweek, work went well?”

There was a small shrug in his shoulders, and he hummed lowly before answering, “As good as it could have been. A little more hectic. My parents are supposed to be coming back tonight, so I wanted to make sure the shop was in perfect condition.”

Frowns spread through each of the other boys, but they only nodded in response. Tweek shut his locker and put his backpack on. He looked at each of his friends and boyfriend as they tried to mask their distress. “This is a good thing. I shouldn’t have to work as much now.”

Craig nodded and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Suddenly, as Tweek’s words registered in Clyde’s brain, a wide grin spread across his face. “That means we can have a much-needed boy’s night.” He glanced at Craig and Tweek. “You two need to sleep separately though. I’ll have my eyes on you.”

Tweek’s cheeks flushed, and Craig rolled his eyes, flipping Clyde off. Lowly, Tweek mumbled, “That would be nice.” 

The grin never faltered, and each boy headed to their respective classes except for Craig. He walked with Tweek to his first class. They stopped outside the room, and Craig smiled down at him. “Have a good class. I’ll see you soon.”

Tweek nodded and smiled. Craig could feel eyes on them, and he could tell that Tweek did too. The smaller boy took an anxious step to the side, but his eyes never left Craig. One hand gripped onto his backpack’s strap, and he readjusted his grip, another nervous tic. Craig gently took Tweek’s free hand and squeezed it reassuringly. He took a step closer to Tweek, feeling his cheeks beginning to burn up. “I love you.”

His voice was quiet, but even through the loud voices in the hall, Tweek could hear him perfectly. His cheeks only darkened, but the smile never faded. Softly, Tweek said back, “I love you too.”

They parted ways, and Tweek walked into the class. Kenny’s eyes were on him before he even fully entered the room. Eyes meeting, Tweek took in a deep breath, going to sit next to him. An honest look of surprise came to Kenny’s face, and he turned in his seat to face Tweek.

Tweek stared at the desk for a few moments, and Kenny waited patiently. He let out a sigh and looked over at him. “Kenny, I want us to be friends.” Kenny nodded slowly. “We were getting back to that point, and I want to believe that what you did was a mistake, but if us being friends is going to lead you on, then we can’t be friends.”

Kenny blinked and nodded slowly. Tweek looked at him expectantly and many thoughts swirled through Kenny’s head. He full heartedly knew that he would be better suited for Tweek, but it was clear that wasn’t an option right now. Kenny was willing to continue to fight for him, but Craig was keeping close tabs on him now. After their conversation from earlier, he knew he’d have to be careful. Continuing with that thought, he knew that if Craig challenged Tweek’s decision to be his friend again, that would cause problems between them. 

Slowly, Kenny nodded his head. Tweek raised his eyebrows, and Kenny let out a sigh. Tweek shifted uncomfortably in his seat, questioning himself if he should have said anything at all to Kenny, but his desperately wanted to work things out. Kenny caught the movement and sat up straighter. Finally, he answered, “I’m going to be honest.” Tweek nodded slowly. “Being just friends is going to be hard, but I’d rather try than lose you completely.”

Tweek nodded slowly, and Kenny gave him a small smile. He could tell that Tweek was searching his features for any ounce of a lie, but when he was content, he smiled back. The class started, and Tweek looked forward to pay attention to the teacher. Kenny let out a breath, looking forward as well. 

It was before lunch when Tweek got the message that he wouldn’t be working that night. After working over sixty hour weeks for the past two and a half weeks, his mother had convinced his father to give him some time off. Tweek felt as if a weight had lifted off his shoulders, and he dropped all his things off at his locker, no longer feeling pressure to finish all his work before the end of the school day. 

After shutting his locker door, he looked around for Craig. He usually came to Tweek’s locker before lunch, but Tweek didn’t see him. The crowds thinned out, but there was no sign of his boyfriend. Tweek tugged at the ends of his sleeves, and he turned to head to the cafeteria.

“Tweek, hey!” Clyde said quickly, causing Tweek to jump. A look of relief flooded his features when he realized it was Clyde.

Gently, he shoved Clyde, “What the hell?”

Clyde grinned at him, “You’re picking up on Craig’s mannerisms. That’s adorable.”

Tweek’s face turned bright red as he stared at Clyde in bewilderment. He laughed, shaking his head. They walked in sync to the cafeteria together, Clyde talking animatedly about something that had happened in his class prior to lunch.

“Needless to say, he’s bringing a damn portable flat top, and the banana pancakes will be mine.” They stepped through the main doors into the cafeteria, and Tweek looked at Clyde, raising an eyebrow as he smiled at him. 

“Do you really need more sugar to hype you up?”

Clyde chuckled and hooked his arm with Tweek’s as they walked to their usual table. “I think you put an extra shot of espresso in my drink this morning.”

Tweek hummed, “You can’t prove anything.”

They reached the table, and Tweek sat down. He looked at Token and Nichole, raising an eyebrow. As if reading Tweek’s mind, Token said, “I don’t know where he is.”

Tweek frowned and pulled out his cellphone, looking to see if Craig sent him a message or called. When there weren’t any new notifications, he put his phone down. “I haven’t heard from him.”

Clyde took Craig’s usual seat. “Maybe he’s finally in trouble from flipping everyone off all the time.” 

Nichole let out a laugh as Token and Tweek gave Clyde a look. He raised his hands in defense, and Nichole laughed again, saying, “I saw him leave his last class.” He looked up and nodded forward. “There he is.”

Craig walked into the cafeteria, Stan next to him. Tweek looked over, seeing the two. He remembered Kenny’s words as they flashed through his head quickly, and while he felt his nerves twist in his stomach, he worked to push them aside. They were only friends after all. Just like he and Kenny were friends, or at least trying to be.

Tweek knew Stan, and he knew that Stan was good. While given a bad name because of his association with Eric Cartman, Tweek knew better than most people in the school. Craig and Stan parted way, and Craig came to the table. He gave Clyde a look, and he swiftly moved seats to allow Craig to sit down.

“What were you up to?” Clyde asked, glancing at Tweek before looking back at Craig. The glance was noticed, and Craig looked over at Tweek before looking back at Clyde, his eyes narrowing. Clyde’s eyes did the exact opposite. They widened as he stammered, “I’m not insinuating anything.”

Craig scoffed and didn’t answer Clyde. Instead, he shifted and faced Tweek. “Sorry, Stan was asking for help with something.”

Tweek nodded and shrugged. “Is everything okay?”

Craig could still feel Clyde’s eyes on him, along with another pair. He didn’t want to look away from Tweek though. He nodded his head. “Yeah, he’s been dealing with some stuff.”

Tweek nodded and looked towards his old lunch table. Stan was talking to Kyle as Cartman watched, bored. Kenny was nowhere to be seen at the table. He looked back at Craig. As if the thought just dawned on him, Clyde said out loud, “Hey, I heard you got into an argument earlier with Kenny.”

Token shot Clyde a look, and Craig looked over at him. Tweek frowned, waiting for an explanation. Craig said slowly, with a warning in his tone. “What are you talking about?”

Clyde picked up on it easily. “I…” He trailed off, looking at Token for help. Token only shook his head, running a hand down his face. 

Unable to take it any longer, Tweek asked, “What’s he talking about?”

Craig tensed and looked towards Tweek. “Nothing,” Craig replied simply, but Tweek wasn’t going to accept that as an answer.

Lowly, Tweek said, “Was it about Christmas Eve?” Craig didn’t answer, and even though their friends were right there, Tweek continued, “I thought we were moving past it. I told you I’d talk to him.”

Craig ran a hand through his hair again. He was agitated and snapped, “I know.” Tweek blinked, staring at him for a moment. Craig hadn’t meant to sound so harsh. He was upset with Clyde, and he knew it was wrong to take it out on Tweek, but he didn’t apologize. His mind raced, and like Clyde, his filter was gone. “I’m beginning to wonder if you like this attention, Tweek.”

Everyone’s eyes at the table widened. Hurt flashed over Tweek’s face, but he didn’t say anything. He dropped his head, chewing on his lower lip, and Craig turned, facing away from him. His eyes met Token, who slowly shook his head. Nichole avoided his gaze, and Clyde watched Tweek.

Silence loomed over them all. Craig was stuck in his head, and he barely noticed the world around him. He didn’t notice Kenny near the table but back away, genuinely concerned. He barely registered when Tweek stood up from the table, mumbling something incoherently, and left the cafeteria in a rush. 

Craig looked up from the table, and it dawned on him that everyone was now looking in his direction. He glanced to his side, finally noticing that Tweek was gone, and he ran a hand through his hair again. 

“You honestly think that?” Clyde questioned. 

Craig shot him a harsh glare. “This is your fucking fault. You couldn’t think, Clyde? You couldn’t watch your mouth?”

Clyde shook his head, standing his ground. “Don’t get mad at me because you fucked up!”

Clyde got up from the table, taking the same path Tweek did out of the cafeteria. Craig looked over at Token, awaiting his comments, but none came. He only saw a look of pity, and Craig admitted to himself that he hated that more.

Clyde stepped out into the empty hallways. He knew that Tweek couldn’t have gone far. Student’s weren’t allowed to walk the halls in the middle of class, even if they were in their lunch period. He headed towards the men’s bathroom and came face to face with Tweek the moment he stepped inside. Tweek’s eyes were red from crying, and Clyde’s shoulders slumped before pulling Tweek into a hug.

He felt Tweek tense against him but slowly relaxed into the hug, a fresh set of silent tears coming to Tweek’s eyes. “Hey, I’m sorry.” Clyde apologized.

Tweek shook his head and pulled back from the hug. “You didn’t do anything.” Clyde opened his mouth to protest, but Tweek shook his head again. “You didn’t. It was me. If that’s what he thinks, then maybe I’ve been giving off that vibe, but I didn’t mean to…”

Tweek trailed off, and Clyde watched as Tweek tried to piece his thoughts together. His hand ran through his hair, tugging at the ends roughly. As he watched, Clyde felt like he needed to say something. “Tweek, you didn’t do anything. Craig’s just pissed off at me or someone else, and he’s taking it out on you.”

Tweek looked up at Clyde. “That’s…”

“It’s very Craig, but it’s not fair to you. He’ll come around.”

Tweek shook his head, looking down at the floor. Clyde watched him carefully. He knew that he wasn’t good at pep talks. That was something he went to Token for. Token knew how to help in every situation. Clyde just wanted Tweek to know that he was there for him, but he didn’t think he was helping Tweek in any way. 

Without knowing how, he did help Tweek. Clyde was pulled into another hug, tighter this time. He hugged Tweek back and said to him lowly, “Everything’s going to be okay.”

Tweek nodded his head, and after a few moments, he pulled back. “Can we go to the library? I don’t feel like going back to the cafeteria.” Tweek paused, his cheeks reddening. “If you want to go with me. I mean, you can go back to the cafeteria. That’s okay too. You don’t need to follow me.”

Clyde waited for Tweek’s ramblings to cease before he answered, “Tweek, it’s okay. I don’t want to go back there either. Let’s go.”

Tweek nodded, and he walked out of the bathroom with Clyde. Once more, they walked side by side, heading towards the library. What they didn’t see was Cartman standing there, watching them with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry for this long delay in updating.   
> I explained a bit on Tumblr, but I'll explain a little bit here as well.   
> I was dealing with a lot of things personally, and found that I needed to take a break from writing while I dealt with it.  
> Things are still a bit bumpy but better now. Updates will resume to once a week.  
> Thank you for sticking with me if you had, and I hope you're enjoying the story.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Eric Cartman sauntered back to his seat in the cafeteria. His absence hadn’t been noticed, but the shit-eating grin that was on his face brought attention to him as he returned. Kenny abandoned his sandwich to look at him. Mumbling, Kenny questioned, “What’s with you?”

Stan and Kyle’s conversation came to a sudden stop, and they both turned to look at Cartman. Once he was sure all attention was on him, Cartman crossed his arms over his chest, puffing it out. “I stumbled across something interesting in the hallway.”

Kenny, faking interest, raised an eyebrow. “Oh really? Tell me more.”

Both Stan and Kyle looked over at Kenny with questioning glances. Kenny had rolled his eyes, picking up his sandwich to finish his lunch. The lack of curiosity began to bother Cartman, and he raised his voice to grab their attention once more. “There appears to be a developing love triangle between Craig and his little spaz.”

Kenny bit back a comment, and Kyle commented, “What are you talking about?” He looked at Stan briefly before back at Cartman, “I thought we were all aware of Kenny’s-“

Kyle stopped mid-sentence after seeing the scalding glare Kenny sent his way. He gave Kenny an apologetic look before looking back at Cartman. Stan sighed, “What is it, Cartman?”

“Tweek and Clyde are totally doing something behind Craig’s back.” Cartman stated confidently. Kenny blinked, staring at Cartman in bewilderment. He continued, “I saw them when I was in the hallway. They came out of the bathroom together, and walked together in the hallway.”

Stan rolled his eyes, “They’re friends. They’re hanging out.”

Kyle nodded, adding, “By your logic, people must think Stan’s cheating on Wendy with me.”

Kenny raised an eyebrow and looked at them both. He noticed the faint flush on Stan’s cheeks but kept his mouth shut. Cartman rolled his eyes, finally sitting down at the table. He motioned back at Tweek’s usual table with Craig. It was still emptier than normal. Token was still talking with Nichole as Craig watched with disinterest. “That group is always together, but Craig got into a fight with Tweek, and now Tweek’s nowhere. Why would Clyde decide to follow him?”

“Friends-“ Kenny had started but was cut off.

“And after that kiss they had at the Halloween party, I can totally see it. There’s disruption, and Clyde’s taking his chance to slide on in.”

Kenny blinked, sitting back in his seat. He had completely forgotten about the game of Spin the Bottle. Thinking about it, he did remember Clyde’s reaction to kissing Tweek. Kenny understood. He, too, remembered the butterflies in his stomach. The lightheaded sensation that took over his head. He remembered that after one kiss, he only wanted to kiss Tweek again.

He pulled himself away from the memory, remembering that Clyde wasn’t even gay or bisexual as far as he knew. Maybe something had changed, but Kenny thought that he’d be able to pick up on it. For as long as he knew him, Clyde had always been focusing his energy on girls. Kenny wondered if or when that had changed.

Having enough of Cartman’s antics, Stan said, “You’re just trying to start shit. Leave them alone.”

Cartman snorted, “You should be happy. Soon you’ll be able to suck Craig’s dick without hiding it.”

Glaring, Stan threw a balled-up wrapper at Cartman. He only laughed in return, looking back at Craig. Sensing that eyes were on him, Craig looked up and flipped off the table. Token followed who the hand gesture was aimed at before looking back at Craig. 

“What did they do?”

“The fat ass is staring at me.” Craig mumbled, looking away from them. “McCormick has been too.” 

Token shrugged, “You know Cartman. He’s always in everyone else’s business.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, “I guess.” He paused and glanced around. “Clyde and Tweek aren’t back yet.”

“And you’re surprised?” Nichole asked.

Token chuckled and nodded. “You expect Tweek to come back? You accused him of leading Kenny on for attention. You and I both know that attention is the last thing that Tweek seeks out.” Craig blinked but nodded. “And then you blamed Clyde for the fight when it was your fault in the first place. It doesn’t surprise me that neither of them are here.”

Craig huffed, “Thanks for your blunt observations. I’m fully aware of all of this.”

“Well, it seems you need a gentle reminding.” Nichole commented.

“Your boyfriend is anything but gentle.” Craig grumbled before a blush took over his cheeks. 

She laughed, looking at Token. He only shrugged in response and collected their garbage before standing to throw it out. Nichole looked back over at Craig, noticing his slouching posture. She gave him a sad look. “What are you going to do?”

Craig looked up at her in surprise. He then shrugged and sighed. “I need to talk to him. I have to apologize, but I don’t how.” She looked at him, confused. He sighed again, more frustrated. “I mean, I know how to apologize, but I need to apologize to him. It needs to be good. I shouldn’t have said what I said, and I need to make it up to him. Let him know that I’m really sorry.”

Nichole nodded, and Token rejoined them at the table, collecting his school books. The end of the period was near. Craig looked down, seeing his barely touched meal. He saved what he could and stood up to throw the rest away. Before stepped away from the table, Nichole said one last thing, “I know you’ll figure out what to do.”

Craig nodded and gave her a small smile before throwing out his trash. The school bell flooded the cafeteria, and each student headed to their respected classes. Craig scanned the hallways, hoping to find Tweek, but he had no luck. He couldn’t even find Clyde, and he assumed they’d be together.

Throughout the rest of the day, Craig could easily fool his peers and teachers into thinking he was vigorously taking notes. In reality, he was planning and hoping to figure out something perfect for his apology to Tweek. There were many scrapped ideas on his notebook pages, and a few he thought would work.

The day ended sooner than usual. The last bell of the day rang, dismissing everyone from their classes. Craig was sure Tweek was going to be at the coffee shop. He didn’t know many days where Tweek was given the day off.

Ignoring the looks he got in the hallways, he rushed out of the school. Students were flooded outside the school. He’d usually find Clyde for a ride, but he couldn’t spot him. Craig guessed he’d still be inside, but he was too on edge to wait. He looked back at the entrance of the school. A few moments later he turned, deciding to walk to Tweek Bros on his own.

A figure stepped out in front of him, stopping Craig in his tracks. A low growl emitted from his throat as he stared harshly at the perpetrator. Cartman stood in front of him, his chest puffed out and a smug look on his face. Craig recognized it from earlier, and it worsened his mood. “What do you want, fat ass?”

Cartman’s look didn’t falter. He cocked his head to the side, giving a passerby a side-glance before he focused on Craig once more. “Your boyfriend left with his new boyfriend already.”

Craig could feel his blood boil, and he stared at Cartman. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Cartman’s face filled with glee as a shit-eating grin spread quickly. “Oh, so you’re in the dark?” 

Craig didn’t know what Cartman meant by anything he was saying. He let out a dejected sigh and crossed his arms over his chest. “I really don’t have time for your bullshit.” 

Taking a side-step, he passed Cartman with little difficulty and continued on his way. He got a few steps away before Cartman called out to him, “I personally think Clyde’s better suited for him anyways. He has more patience.”

Craig skidded to a stop. He wanted to turn around. He wanted to press Cartman for more information, but then he remembered it was Cartman. He knew that anything that came out of Cartman’s mouth should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, he was suddenly filled with worry.

He didn’t give Cartman another chance to say something more. He picked up his pace, hurrying to Tweek Bros. He began to panic. His mind swirled with thoughts and scenarios. He didn’t want Cartman’s words to get to him. He was pissed off. Of all people, Cartman should have been the last person he took seriously. 

Craig saw Tweek Bros in view, and his pace turned into one step below a jog. He reached the entrance as two people left the store. He held the door for them before going inside, panting. He scanned the entire area, but Tweek was nowhere to be seen.

Kenny’s eyes met with Craig’s, and a genuine look of concern spread across his features. “Are you okay? Is Tweek okay?”

Craig stared at Kenny confused before letting out a groan and running a hand through his hair. He tugged at the ends and looked back at Kenny. “He isn’t here?”

Slowly, Kenny shook his head. “No, he has the night off.”

Swearing under his breath, Craig nodded and asked, “Do you know where he is?”

Kenny shook his head again, and Craig turned to look out the storefront’s windows. There was a silence between the two, and Kenny watched Craig curiously. After a moment of hesitation, Kenny asked, “Is everything okay?”

Letting out an exasperated laugh, he turned to look at Kenny, and shook his head. “No, no. Nothing is okay. I’m an idiot and an asshole.” Kenny raised his eyebrows, and Craig held up a hand, “Don’t even.”

After letting out a low laugh, Kenny waved his hand, “Continue.”

“Tweek’s mad at me, and rightfully so, but I can’t even find him.”

Kenny nodded and asked, “Did you try calling him?” Craig blinked and looked at Kenny again. “That’s what I usually do when I’m trying to get in touch with someone. Modern technology is so amazing that way.”

Grumbling, Craig flipped Kenny off and walked out the shop. Kenny watched Craig as he stood there for few moments before fumbling, getting his phone out of his pocket. He watched him press a few buttons on the phone before holding it to his ear and walking away.

After a few seconds, Kenny walked into the backroom of the shop. The small boy with unruly blonde hair sat at one of the tables, staring at his phone as it vibrated. Sighing, Kenny sat next to him. “He’s sorry.”

Tweek twitched a little before his shoulders slumped further. “I know.” His voice was low with uncertainty. “It’s not that I’m mad. I’m just scared.”

Kenny’s eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

Tweek sighed and leaned back in his seat. “It’s completely possible that our conversation could go in a direction completely different than where I think it should go.” Kenny nodded slowly, and Tweek continued, “I feel like this shouldn’t be a big deal, but if I say something wrong or he does, then it could become a big deal.”

“I think the longer you wait, the worse it’s going to be. You know him better than I do, but I kind of see him as the guy that might make something out of nothing if given the time. Not to mention, the more you think about it the more nervous you’re going to get.”

Sighing, Tweek nodded once and stood up. “You’re probably right, but I’m not confident enough to talk to him right now.”

Tweek shrugged his coat back on before pocketing his cell phone. He watched him silently, but as Tweek headed for the door, Kenny spoke out, “You can stay here you know. This is your parent’s shop.”

Tweek let out a low laugh and looked at Kenny, “It’s my day off. I don’t want to be here longer than I have too.”

Kenny chuckled and Tweek left the back room to leave the shop. Tweek stepped out onto the sidewalk and pulled his phone from his pocket. He looked at the missed call notification on the screen and sighed. He suspected that it would be more beneficial to talk to Craig sooner rather than later. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to call Craig, and started walking to nowhere in particular. 

He thought of people to talk to, but Tweek didn’t want to bring more people into it. So, he kept walking. He was aimless, and he barely paid attention to where he was going. Tweek was too caught up in his head, but he came to a stop when he felt his feet meet the metal of a bike rack. Looking up, he realized the bike rack was just outside the park, and at first, he thought he was alone, but he wasn’t. 

Their back was facing him, but he knew the hair from anywhere. His face scrunched in confusion, and he walked over to the person sitting on the bench. He noticed them jump and turn to look at Tweek.

“Clyde? Are you okay?”

His eyes widened a little before he looked down. He didn’t give Tweek an answer before scooting over on the bench to give Tweek some room to sit down. He let out a sigh and shrugged. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Cocking at eyebrow, Tweek sat down and looked at him. He attempted to lighten the mood, “Girl troubles?”

Clyde let out a small laugh and shook his head. “Far from it.” Tweek nodded, and Clyde sighed, looking down at his hands, and continued, “I just have a lot of thoughts in my head that I don’t know what to do with.”

Tweek hummed and looked out in front of them. “You could try writing them down. It gets them out and helps you piece them together.”

“Maybe, yeah,” Clyde nodded his head and looked over at Tweek. He stated, “You tend to overthink.” Tweek raised his eyebrows, causing Clyde to flush darkly. He stammered, “I-I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I know people have said things, but I didn’t say it to be mean. It was more like an observation.”

Clyde’s rambling came to a stop as a small smile spread on Tweek’s face as he shook his head. “I know what you meant, Clyde.” Clyde stared at him still. “You can breathe.”

Tweek watched Clyde’s actions. He had looked away from him slowly and looked back down at his hands. Tweek could tell he had been picking at the skin at the sides of his nails. A nervous tic that Tweek hadn’t noticed before. 

He began to wonder how much of his friend’s habits he hadn’t observed, having been too distracted by Craig. His eyes traveled from Clyde’s hands up to his eyes again, and Clyde was zoned out. After a few silent moments, Clyde let out a shaky breath and looked over at Tweek.

“If I need to…can I call you and just talk? About anything? I’ll try the writing thing, but sometimes just talking helps get my thoughts in line.”

Tweek saw the vulnerability in Clyde. There was always a front he put up. While people knew Clyde to be emotional when provoked, Tweek had a sense that some of it was played up. What Tweek was seeing was true, raw emotion.

Clyde looked over at Tweek, and he nodded slowly in reply. “Yes, of course, Clyde.”

Clyde gave him a small smile before pulling Tweek into a hug. Tweek stiffened up briefly, but he always did. He hugged Clyde back, and he could feel Clyde relax in his arms. Tweek wondered how he could miss the turmoil his friend might be going through. He always seemed so together, so happy. He only hoped that he could help.

From across the park, on the other side of the street, Craig’s eyes caught the scene. He saw the smile Clyde gave Tweek, and he watched the embrace that followed. The twisting in his stomach worsened, and the paranoia in his head went into overdrive. He watched one of his best friends hug his boyfriend, and Cartman’s words radiated through him on repeat.


	20. Chapter Twenty

Craig couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed, staring at the ceiling. Racer squeaked quietly at every movement he made. Sighing, Craig grabbed a pillow, putting it over his face as he let out a loud, aggravated sigh. He couldn’t take it. He couldn’t take his racing thoughts. He couldn’t take the multiple scenarios running through his head. He didn’t just want answers. He needed them.

Craig sat up in bed and stared at the dark wall that faced him. It was only for a few moments, and then he threw his blankets from his body. Springing up from bed, he didn’t bother changing. He flung on his jacket and bounded out of the house. It was quiet with everyone else sleeping, but he was sure not to wake them up.

The weather outside was cold, a light snow falling, but it hadn’t been snowing for long. As he reached the street, he realized he wasn’t entirely sure where to go. He stopped in his tracks and weighed his options. He could go straight to Tweek, but he was sure his parents would be more than displeased. Craig had a sense they didn’t even like him to begin with. He could go to Token for more advice, but could hear the judgement that would be in Token’s voice already, and he wasn’t for that. Then there was Stan. He had heard enough of Stan’s problems in the past few months; so, he definitely owed him, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to redeem the favor just yet. The last person he thought of was Clyde.

Clyde was his best option, or so he believed. He could go straight to Clyde and ask him what was going on. Clyde could lie, but Craig knew that he’d be able to tell. Without much more thought, Craig headed to Clyde’s house. It wasn’t far away, and he was thankful because the cold was beginning to get to him.

Coming to a stop, he looked up at Clyde’s house. There was light coming through the downstairs windows, and he didn’t hesitate to approach the house. He quickly stepped up the few stairs at the front door before knocking on it. Craig stood in anticipation, waiting for someone to answer the door.

After a few moments, the door sprung open, and a half-asleep Clyde appeared from behind the door. He rubbed his eyes and stared at Craig. “Craig? What the hell are you doing here?”

There was a moment of reluctance before he asked, “Can I come in?”

Sighing, Clyde nodded and stepped back, letting Craig inside. He shut the door behind them and turned, watching Craig pace back and forth a little. He furrowed his eyebrows, watching him for a little while before asking, “What’s going on, Craig?”

Craig stopped moving and looked over at Clyde. He wasn’t sure how to word it and decided that blunt was the best way to go. “Is there something going between you and Tweek?”

Clyde blinked and stared at Craig. He watched Craig’s facial expression, looking for some kind of indication that he was joking. But, Clyde knew Craig, and he knew that Craig wouldn’t show up at someone’s house in the middle of the night as a joke. Craig valued his sleep.

“Are you fucking with me?” He asked, and Craig only seemed to get more desperate and impatient. “You aren’t fucking with me.”

Craig’s pacing resumed, and he ran both hands through his hair, tugging at the ends. “I just need to know. I need verification. This is bullshit, and I need to know.”

Blinking, Clyde nodded slowly. “Craig, you dumbass, nothing’s going on between me and Tweek.” Craig let out a breath. “One, even if I was interested, I wouldn’t do that to you. I’m not Kenny. And two, he loves you, dude. Stop questioning that. It’s only going to make matters worse if he thinks you don’t believe or trust him.”

Sighing, Craig sunk down onto the couch. After watching him for a few moments, Clyde joined him, sitting down. “I do believe him, and I do trust him, but I saw you guys today in the park.”

Clyde rolled his eyes. “I was sitting there and he showed up. He just listened to me vent about stupid things that have been on my mind.” He looked at Craig. “You really are paranoid.”

“I don’t mean to be.” He mumbled in response, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Dude, when’s the last time you got stoned?” Clyde asked, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Craig shot him a glance but didn’t answer. Huffing, Clyde continued, “You’d think he’d still sell to you. He’s the one who needs money.”

“He hardly needs money anymore. He has a job now too.”

Clyde laughed, “An honest job making honest money.’

Rolling his eyes, Craig continued, “It’s more me, not wanting to buy from him. He’s pissed me off, and I don’t feel like dealing with him.”

Clyde shrugged, “Yeah, but now you’re turning into a Nervous Nellie, and you need to do something about it.” Craig didn’t say anything again. “Look, I’ll buy some for you if that’s what you want. I’ll be the middle man. I’ll take the danger and dive in headfirst.”

Craig shook his head and closed his eyes. “I’ll figure something out.”

Clyde leaned forward and grabbed the TV remote. Turning on the TV, he sunk back into the couch resuming the same position he had probably been in before being woken up by Craig’s knocking.

Craig didn’t recognize the show that was on the TV, but he didn’t mind. He watched it anyways. It helped distract his mind. At a point, he thought that Clyde had went back to sleep, but quietly next to him, Clyde spoke, “You have to trust him.”

Craig looked over at Clyde. “I do.”

Clyde shrugged a little. “I’m not doubting you, but you make it seem like you don’t. That’s probably worrying him. You get upset and say things. What’s happening isn’t his fault, and he just tries to see the best in people.” There was silence between the two. Craig deciding that he didn’t want to respond. Clyde added, “Hell, he saw the best in you.”

From the corner of his eye, Clyde could see Craig nod in acknowledgement, and he left it at that. He knew that Craig would let that stew for a while. He didn’t mean to turn into Token. Usually, he just let’s Craig be Craig, but Clyde felt like he had to say something.

They both watched the TV, and eventually Clyde fell back asleep. Craig could hear the change in his breathing and looked over at him. He knew that Clyde was right, and Craig felt guilty from getting so upset at Tweek. He knew that Tweek was kind-hearted, and he knew that it had been difficult for him to just completely ignore his friend. Still, knowing Kenny’s past intentions, he couldn’t trust Kenny.

Craig slowly stood up, being careful not to wake up Clyde again, and left the house. It was still the early hours of the morning, and he wasn’t sure when, or if, Tweek would be heading to Tweek Bros, but he decided to go there anyways. It was cold, but he’d wait as long as possible.

The lights to the building were off, and Craig took a seat on the bench outside the shop’s front doors. The wind whipped around him, stinging his skin, but he still sat there. It was quiet in town, no one else on the streets, and Craig closed his eyes to take his mind off the cold. 

His body was overtook with cold. He felt like he couldn’t move, and he began to regret not putting warmer clothes on. Still, he tried to distract himself. He thought of Tweek and only Tweek. He thought of his smile. The way it felt when Tweek wrapped his arms around him. The feeling of their hands joined, fingers laced together. The way his eyebrows furrowed when in concentration and the way his nose scrunched when Craig made a bad joke. The silence between them when they were just comfortable in each other’s presence. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by a frantic voice. 

“Craig? Oh my god, what are you doing out here?” 

Craig’s eyes shot open, and he looked at Tweek, rushing to him. Craig felt like his entire body was frozen. He couldn’t make a sentence. He was just enchanted by Tweek’s presence. Two warm palms cupped his cheeks, and Tweek watched him, worry etched into his face. “Craig, say something.”

He cleared his throat, his voice raspier than usual, “I needed to see you.”

Shaking his head a little, Tweek stood up straight again, pulling away from Craig. He watched him, but found the energy to reach out and grab Tweek’s hand, not wanting him to leave his side. Tweek looked back at him, still panicked. “I need to open the doors so I can get you inside.” 

Craig didn’t say anything, but he looked at Tweek desperately. Tweek looked back at him but grew impatient. Craig could feel Tweek squeeze his hand before letting go and opening the front doors to the shop. He rushed back to Craig and helped him stand before leading him into the store. 

The heat inside the shop wasn’t on yet, but it was still warmer than outside. Craig felt the change in temperature immediately as his skin stung from the change. The lights were still off, but Tweek was used to this. He led Craig through the store front and into the back room. Tweek struggled but was able to flip one of the lights on before getting Craig to a seat.

Tweek left his side again for a few moments. Craig watched him go into a plastic storage container, rummaging through it for a little while before grabbing out a blanket. Craig raised an eyebrow at him as Tweek came back, draping the blanket over him. 

Before Craig could say or question anything, Tweek spoke quickly, “I’m going to get you something warm to drink, okay? Just stay here.”

He didn’t give Craig time to answer. In a flash, Tweek had walked through the door to the front of the shop. Craig tightened the blanket around him and noticed just how much this reminded him of Tweek when he was younger. He was frantic, nervous, but overall, nurturing. Tweek had gotten more confident over the years, but Craig could still seem the same small boy from years ago. He loved both versions of him.

A little more calmly, Tweek came back and put a cup on the table next to Craig. “It’s just hot chocolate. Coffee would have taken too long.”

Craig nodded and watched him. He noticed the nervous twitch from Tweek and freed one hand to grab Tweek’s. “Thank you.”

Tweek didn’t pull back and nodded his head. “Craig…”

Craig still didn’t have the words to properly express himself. Instead, he tugged Tweek forward and gently pulled him into a kiss. Craig’s body was still cold, but when he felt Tweek’s lips against his, a warmth spread through him and only intensified when Tweek kissed him back.

Tweek pulled away after a few moments and looked at Craig. He chewed on his lower lip and took a seat next to him, gently pushing the cup closer to Craig. Sighing, Craig took the cup, taking a sip from it.

He took a few small sips before setting the cup down. “I’m really sorry, Tweek.”

Tweek looked from the cup to Craig but didn’t respond. This prompted Craig to continue, “I shouldn’t have said what I did. It was-“

“Uncalled for,” Tweek mumbled, and Craig looked at him, seeing Tweek’s cheeks flare up. He nodded.

“Completely uncalled for. You’ve given me no reason to think like that. I think I was just getting paranoid.”

Tweek sighed and ran a hand through his hair, gripping onto it. “I’m wrong. It wasn’t uncalled for. If that’s how I’ve made you feel-“

“Tweek, no,” Craig interrupted, gently grabbing Tweek’s hand from his hair and squeezed it gently. Hesitantly, Tweek looked at Craig and was met with a soft smile. “I love you, and there’s never been a moment where I didn’t trust you. I’ve been unjustifiably paranoid, and I took it out on you. I know how you are. You care a lot, about everyone. I just forgot that.”

Tweek nodded a little and looked down. Craig waited patiently. He knew he had to be patient. Tweek was here. Tweek wasn’t mad. He didn’t want to make him mad. But, Tweek was silent, and it worried him.

Sighing, Tweek looked back at Craig. “You’re not the only one who has to be sorry. I love you too, and this is about us working together. I got scared and ran, ignoring you trying to contact me and explain yourself. I shouldn’t have.”

“But you’re talking to me now.” Tweek nodded. “It’s okay. We’re on the same page now. We’re okay, right?”

Tweek looked at him. He got the feeling that Tweek had more to say. Maybe they weren’t on the same page, and that thought worried him. Perhaps Tweek had heard the rumors of him and Clyde, and he took it into consideration. Maybe, Tweek was realizing how much better he would be with someone else.

As these thoughts flooded through Craig’s mind, he wasn’t aware that he was wearing his emotions on his sleeve. He felt Tweek squeeze his hand gently, and it brought him back to the present. 

Tweek searched his features before saying softly, “There’s nothing between me and Kenny. He was my friend, and if I’m being nice it’s because he was my friend, and I still want to be his friend. But, there’s no other motives coming from me.”

Craig nodded. “I get that.”

“You have to trust me. Believe me.”

Craig nodded again. Quietly, he said, “I do.”

Tweek gave him a small smile as Craig pulled him into a hug, kissing the side of his head. He felt Tweek relax into him, and he tightened his arms around him. Having convinced himself earlier that Tweek was done with him, this was a dream come true. 

There was a shuffling coming from the front of the store, and Tweek broke away to check the time. He swore under his breath, and Craig smiled, watching him. A few seconds later, Kenny walked into the back room, stopping in his tracks when he saw Craig and Tweek.

Tweek’s cheeks flushed, and he stood up, straightening his clothes. “Sorry, everything isn’t done yet.”

Kenny shrugged, “I don’t care. I’ve got it.” He glanced at Craig, waving his hand a little. “You two continue your moment. I won’t be listening in…too much.”

Tweek rolled his eyes, grabbing an apron, and putting it on. He grabbed another one, tossing it to Kenny. Craig watched the interaction as Kenny grinned at Tweek with a watered-down smugness. Tweek turned back to Craig, “You can stay back here. Warm up. Get some sleep.”

Craig snorted, and Tweek instinctively rolled his eyes as Craig said, “That’s what history class is for.”

Sighing, Tweek walked through the door to go back to the front and Craig smiled to himself, taking another sip of hot chocolate. He did have a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him, but he was too elated to care.


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Clyde had woken up after hearing his dad slam that bathroom door shut from the same spot on the couch where he had fallen asleep during Craig’s visit. He looked around, wondering if Craig was still there, but he knew he wouldn’t be. With a sigh, Clyde forced himself up from the couch and walked into the kitchen before his dad made it downstairs. 

He had seen Craig worried, but he couldn’t recount a time where he had seen him as worried and worked up like the night before. He felt borderline guilty. It was true, there was nothing going on between him and Tweek, but he couldn’t deny that he hadn’t entertained the thought. Tweek was special, but he was Craig’s. Clyde was honest when he said he wouldn’t break his best friend’s trust. 

Rummaging through the cupboards, he tried finding something to eat and once he was content with just grabbing a package of Poptarts, he went upstairs to change for school. Clyde’s room was a mess, having neglected it for weeks. Clothes were piled up, and there was trash everywhere. It had gotten to the point where he didn’t want to be in his own bedroom, but he couldn’t find the motivation to clean it now. The other issues present in his mind took up all his concentration. 

After changing, he grabbed his school bag from the it’s spot besides his door and slung it over his shoulder. He went back downstairs, glancing at the closed bathroom door for a quick second before doing so. His phone was where he left it on the side table next to the couch, and he remembered to grab that too before leaving the house. 

It was still snowing, and a lot had accumulated on the ground overnight. Clyde’s car was large enough to drive through the snow in his driveway, so he didn’t bother shoveling. He started the car and blasted the heat. Cold air hit his face until the warmth began to kick it, but he didn’t even bother turning it down. Ripping open the package of Poptarts, he began eating one as he pulled out of the driveway.

The plow had come through at some point, making it easier to get through the streets. He wasn’t in his car long enough for the heat to fully kick in, but Clyde had finished his Poptart as he pulled into the usual parking space outside Tweek Bros. Coffee. Like usual, he wondered why Tweek was the one who needed to open the store. They were all teenage kids who went to school full time. Most employers understood that. Even Clyde couldn’t work more hours if he wanted to. He suspected it was because it was a family business, but it still seemed unfair. 

Clyde worried a lot about Tweek. He found himself watching Tweek in class. He watched Tweek fight to stay awake. He watched him secretly doing homework just so he wouldn’t have to do it later. It made Clyde want to do better in class. He wanted to take better notes. He wanted to help Tweek.

He took in a breath, walking into the store. Kenny stood near the entrance, sweeping the already clean floor. Near him sat Craig, and Clyde raised an eyebrow before exclaiming, “Oh my god, you talked to Tweek? You fixed things, right? You be-“

Craig shot him a look, crossing his arms over his chest, and it stopped Clyde mid-sentence. He could hear Kenny snicker before walking into the back room. Tweek stood at his usual spot behind the register, also looking at Clyde with concern. Slowly, Tweek’s eyes traveled to Craig, as if expecting Craig to say something.

Simply, Craig responded, “Obviously.”

Clyde rolled his eyes and approached the counter as Tweek held out a cup of coffee for him. After mumbling a ‘thank you’, he stepped back. Taking a sip, he hummed with contentment. Kenny emerged from the back room, his jacket on and backpack on. Tweek nodded at him, “I’ll see you later.”

Clyde watched as Kenny waved at Tweek and left the shop. He felt like he was out of the loop. There had been no snide comments exchanged, and Craig looked relatively calm. Clyde glanced from the store’s door back to Craig. His face didn’t hide the questions that swirled in his head.

Craig didn’t say anything, though. He didn’t even hint at an answer, and Clyde knew that he was doing it on purpose. Craig knew this would drive Clyde crazy, and Clyde found it unfair. Tweek had went into the back room, and Clyde took this as an opportunity to pester Craig.

“What’s going on?” He asked quickly. Slowly, Craig turned his head to look at Clyde. When there wasn’t a response, Clyde whined, “Craig!”

Sighing deeply, Craig answered, “I’m trying this whole, keep calm, thing.” Clyde only nodded slowly, and when Craig caught on that he wasn’t satisfied, he added, “We talked, like you suggested. Things are better. I feel better.”

“And Kenny?”

Craig shrugged, “I don’t want to punch him in the face…if that means anything.”

Clyde rolled his eyes and sipped his coffee. Silence fell on them again until Tweek’s replacement came through the doors and went to the backroom. A few moments later, Tweek came out and joined the two. 

“I’m ready when you both are.” Craig nodded at him and stood up. Not more than two seconds later, Tweek said quickly, “You don’t have of your things.”

Craig looked down at himself and shrugged simply. He looked back at Tweek and smiled at his look of bewilderment. Grabbing Tweek’s hand, he squeezed it gently. “I think I’ll be fine for today.”

Tweek eyed him as Clyde nudged them both through the door. “We can stop by his house real quick if we leave now. Come on, let’s go.”

Tweek hesitated but sighed, following Clyde out. Craig held onto Tweek’s hand. Once getting into Clyde’s car, Tweek asked, “What are we going to do about Cartman?”

Craig groaned, and Clyde looked at them. Craig then said, “Ignore him. He’s a piece of shit. He starts shit for his enjoyment. If we just ignore him, it pisses him off, and he stops.”

“Or he makes it worse.” Clyde added, and Craig shot him a glare. Tweek fidgeted in his seat, playing with the strap of his backpack. Clyde started driving towards Craig’s house and continued, “You know how he is. He’ll escalate and escalate until someone finally reacts.”

Tweek nodded, “That’s true, Craig.” Craig looked at his boyfriend. “One, everyone knows that you have a short temper.” Craig gave him an incredulous look as Clyde laughed. He looked as if he had something to say, but Tweek didn’t give him the opportunity, “And two, he knows if he’s persistent enough, he can get anything he wants.”

“Well, then what are we supposed to do?” Craig questioned as Clyde pulled into the driveway of Craig’s house. Tweek shrugged a little. Craig sighed and ran a hand through his hair before getting out of the car to run into the house. 

Clyde turned in his seat to look at Tweek. “We just have to keep moving forward.” Tweek nodded a little. “And keep Craig under control.”

Tweek laughed and shook his head. “That’s a loaded task.”

Clyde raised an eyebrow at him, “I’m sure you have ways of doing that better than the rest of us.”

Tweek’s eyes widened just a little as redness spread across his cheeks. Clyde stared at Tweek, causing the blush to intensify. Chuckling, Clyde shook his head, and sat forward in the car as Craig rushed out of the house and got back in. He first looked at Tweek and then wacked Clyde’s arm.

After letting out a yelp, Clyde rubbed his arm as he looked at Craig, “What the hell was that for?”

Craig stared at him hard, “You know what you did.”

Clyde blinked before putting the car into reverse and drove again, heading to the school. They sat in silence, only the soft sound of Clyde’s music coming through the car’s speakers. When they got to the parking lot, Craig nudged Clyde.

“Look, Cartman’s over there. Just run him over. No one will care and our problem will be solved.” Clyde snorted while Tweek gave Craig a look.

Clyde shook his head, “He might dent the car.”

Tweek rolled his eyes and opened the car door when it was parked. He then added, “Any person would dent your car. Don’t single him out.”

Craig and Clyde watched Tweek as he shut the car door. Craig smacked Clyde again before getting out of the car. “Tweek, wait.”

Tweek spun around to face Craig. Losing his footing, he tripped forward, and Craig grabbed onto his arms to steady him. Huffing, Tweek stepped backwards, but didn’t look away from Craig. There was a moment of awkward silence, and Craig rubbed the back of his neck as he watched Tweek.

“I know-“

“Being mean to him is just as bad as him being mean to you.” Craig nodded slowly. “Nobody wins when you fight fire with fire. The world just burns.” Clyde had gotten out of his car at this point and stood near Craig. Tweek looked at him before looking back at Craig. “He’s friends with Kyle, Stan, and Kenny. So he can’t be entirely awful.”

“Tweek, we were just joking.” Clyde said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. He looked back at where Cartman had joined Kenny in front of the school. Biting his lip, he looked back at the blond boy. “I wasn’t going to actually do anything.”

Tweek shrugged and quietly said in a simple tone, “You wouldn’t like it if someone joked about you like that.”

Neither boy said anything, and Tweek walked past them into the school. When Tweek was out of earshot, Craig let out a groan and ran a hand through his hair, tugging on the ends. Clyde frowned and looked at his friend. “When did he care about Cartman so much? Cartman’s given him so much shit. He’s given you both so much shit.”

He chewed on his lower lip, looking back at Clyde, “Man, I don’t fucking know.”

“We could blame it on sleep deprivation.”

Craig rolled his eyes, “Or we could consider being a little more decent.”

“All that kindness is going to bite him in the ass.”

Craig snorted and headed to the school, “It already has.”

Clyde sighed and nodded. He knew that was the truth. It’s what caused much of his problems with Kenny. Clyde hoped Tweek would have learned something from his experiences, but maybe there was something Tweek knew that they didn’t. He scrunched his face at the thought and followed Craig into the school. 

Token was near the front doors as the both of them walked in. Once noticing his friends, he raised an eyebrow at them. Clyde could hear Craig groan again, and he stopped at Token as Craig continued on, ignoring them both. Token gave him a look before adverting his eyes back to Clyde.

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, “Tweek’s upset, so Craig’s upset, and I’m upset that they’re upset.”

Token blinked. “What is wrong with you?”

“I told you! Tweek is-“

“You don’t need to repeat yourself.” He said and headed to Craig’s locker. Clyde followed next to him.

“We were joking about hitting Cartman with my car, and Tweek got all sensitive about it.”

Token nodded slowly, spotting Craig at his locker. He walked up and stood next to him. “I’m hoping neither of you called Tweek sensitive to his face.”

Craig looked over at Token before shooting Clyde a glare. “We did not.” He slammed his locker shut, obviously aggravated. Clyde jumped a little, and Craig looked at him. “There’s ears in this hallway. I’d prefer you fucking watch your goddamn mouth, Clyde.”

Timidly, Clyde nodded and mumbled a ‘sorry’. Craig looked around them, not seeing anyone to be suspicious of. He then looked back at Token. “We were kind of shitty, but it’s not unwarranted.” Token shrugged. “Did he seem really upset?”

“He was pleasant to me, but you could see that he was mulling something over.” Token hummed. 

Craig looked away as Cartman came down the hallway. The two locked eyes, and a small smirk spread across Cartman’s lips. Craig said lowly, “He knows Cartman’s starting shit. I don’t know why he doesn’t understand why I’m not thrilled with Cartman’s continued breathing.”

Token shrugged, and Clyde followed Craig’s gaze, spotting Cartman too. As he neared the group, Cartman said aloud, “I didn’t know you guys were in an open relationship. But I should have figured. Gays are into weird shit.”

Clyde looked dumbfounded as Craig glared. “Go fuck yourself.”

This only seemed to elate Cartman as he came to a stop, still looking at Craig. “If you two are battling it out, I don’t think you have a chance.”

“Cartman, are you really going to start this bullshit again?” Token cut in. 

Cartman just shrugged, “I’m not starting anything, only commentating on what I’m observing. Any dumbass with eyes can see there’s something a-brewin’.” Token rolled his eyes. “And Clyde isn’t even denying anything.”

“Most people don’t want to feed into your bullshit.”

The voice came from behind Craig, and he turned around, seeing Kenny standing there. Stan and Kyle were near but stayed a safe distance back. Cartman let out a loud laugh, and Craig turned around again. Kenny hummed, stepping forward to stand next to Craig.

“Whatever you think you know, you’re wrong. And if you want to start a war, you’re going to lose because you don’t even know what you’re fighting for, but we do.”

Cartman raised an eyebrow at him, “And that is?”

Kenny crossed his arms over his chest, “To stop and get rid of your pompous attitude. To get rid of you.”

Cartman scoffed, “You wouldn’t know what to do without me.”

Kyle and Stan looked at each other nervously, and when Kenny didn’t lose his composure, Cartman stomped past them all, mumbling under his breath. Craig gave Kenny a small look of appreciation as Kyle and Stan joined them.

Kyle said warningly, “You know what Cartman’s capable of.”

“You should really rethink challenging him.” Stan finished. Craig looked over him and met his gaze for a few moments before looking down at the ground.

Confidently, Kenny shook his head. “If he’s not going to stop, we won’t either.”

“You’re talking real big.” Clyde said, clearly on edge. Token nodded in agreement. 

“I know how he’s bothering you. And, I know I’m not your favorite person right now, but he’s different. He doesn’t have boundaries, and he doesn’t care who he hurts. It has to end.” Kenny told them. They all nodded, and Craig looked at him. “For Tweek’s sake, it has to end.”

Craig nodded again before clapping Kenny on the shoulder. “Then we need to outsmart him. We have to learn how to outsmart him.”

Kenny grinned widely at Craig, nodding eagerly. Token rolled his eyes but didn’t make an effort to leave. Clyde nodded slowly, following Craig’s lead, while both Stan and Kyle looked at each other nervously, scared of the possible outcome this all could have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHERE HAVE I BEEN?
> 
> Some might be thinking that, and a lot of people probably don't care, but I'm going to explain.
> 
> The last few months have been FUN to say the least.
> 
> This chapter was written, and then the file mysteriously disappeared from my computer when it updated itself! So, that was a fun discovery.  
> I had a little health scare. The results came back good, so that's over, but that took up a lot of my mind space.  
> I was traveling back and forth from Chicago to Michigan to both visit my mom and move my stuff since I'll be moving there.  
> I applied for a job out in Michigan, which I found out this week that I GOT. (A job in my field of study, thank-fucking-god)  
> Which pushed up my move date from the end of August to the first week of July.  
> SO, I've been spending a lot of my time (when I'm not at work) packing up my apartment.  
> First weekend of July I'll be in Louisville to do a paranormal investigation. And the first weekend of August I'll be in Texas for RTX. SO HOOO BOY. So much to do. So little time.
> 
> SO SO SO, what does this all mean for the story?  
> Now that I have a lot more under control, I plan to update 1-2 a month for the time being. It could be more, but IT WILL be at least once a month, but I'm really hoping for more. It really depends how I settle into my new job. So, no, I'm not giving up on this story, and I feel absolutely terrible for this long long delay. If you've stuck with me, thank you so much. If you're reading this months and months after it's published so this is an old-ass note, thank you for reading, and I'm glad you didn't have to deal with my bullshit of a hiatus.
> 
> Regardless,  
> Thank you so so much for reading. I hope you've enjoyed and continue to enjoy this story. Your support means the world to me.
> 
> As always, if you need/want to reach me, I'm wickedhavoc on Tumblr, and I try to respond as soon as humanly possible.
> 
> Thank you.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Tweek was sat at his usual spot in the cafeteria. Craig, Clyde, and Token had yet to arrive, and it was beginning to make Tweek anxious. He knew he had been upset earlier, but he had hoped it wouldn’t cause the rest of them to avoid him. Every few seconds his eyes darted to the cafeteria doors, and his shoulders sunk each time he didn’t see the familiar faces of his friends walking through. 

He ran a hand through his hair and tugged at the ends. His eyes dropped to his book bag on the table in front of him. Tweek wasn’t sure what else he could do. It wasn’t usual to have every person he sat with not show up. He wondered what others thought. He wondered if they noticed. Did they know about his, for lack of better words, outburst from earlier? Did they know? 

Tweek began to feel himself panic, and it wasn’t something that had happened recently. He couldn’t remember the last time his thoughts took a nosedive like this. He stared hard at book bag, not even noticing when Kenny approached the table. He looked at Tweek, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder.

Tweek jumped up in surprise, looking at Kenny with wide eyes. Concern flooded Kenny’s features, and he squeezed Tweek’s shoulder gently. “Hey, it’s just me. Are you okay?”

Tweek’s face turned red instantly and he nodded his head, looking away from Kenny. “Yeah…yeah, I am.”

Kenny stared, not believing him. “What’s wrong?”

There was silence between them. Kenny didn’t pressure him to say anything, but Tweek replied with urgency, “I said I was fine.”

“Okay Tweek,” Kenny snorted, and Tweek sent him a slight glare. He easily ignored it and mentioned, “I heard you were defending Cartman this morning.”

Tweek’s eyes widened again as he exclaimed, “What?” 

Raising both eyebrows, Kenny asked, “Did you not?”

“I…uh..well, I did.” Tweek stuttered and looked down. “And before you ask…I don’t know why…I guess…I just…”

Tweek trailed off, and Kenny watched his body language. He could tell that Tweek was torn between how he felt and how he thought he should feel. He could tell that he was double-guessing his own actions and doubting himself in the worst ways.

“I’m not denying that Cartman’s a complete asshole.” Tweek finally said in a rushed tone. “It’s just, I’ve been made fun of basically my entire life, and while Cartman kind of deserves some of the treatment he gets, I just, I don’t know.”

“It’s not every day that someone defends him. It’s just creating questions.” 

“I’m not defending him. I just said they shouldn’t joke about hitting him with their car.” Kenny chuckled, and Tweek glared at him again, crossing his arms over his chest.

Kenny tried fighting back a smile and shook his head. “You’re turning into your boyfriend. Next thing I know, you’ll be flipping me off.”

Huffing, Tweek looked away. His eyes went back to the doors of the cafeteria. He could make an excuse for Token not to be here, but Craig and Clyde never missed an opportunity to eat. He was getting worried, and quietly, Tweek asked, “Are they mad at me?”

Kenny’s heart broke seeing the sadness that engulfed Tweek, adding onto the exhaustion that was already there. He squeezed Tweek’s shoulder gently. “I’m sure they aren’t.”

Tweek shrugged a little and looked at Kenny again. “But they aren’t here, and Craig hasn’t texted me at all. I haven’t seen him since class, and even then he really didn’t say anything to me. Clyde’s not here either, and he’s always here before I am, and-“ Tweek stopped midsentence, and Kenny should see the anxiety, the panic. 

Kenny didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to leave Tweek’s side, but he knew that Cartman would use this as added fuel to the wildfire he was going to start. Still, Kenny couldn’t stand seeing Tweek begin to break down like this, and he knew Tweek would only hate himself for making a scene in public. Kenny’s eyes scanned the rest of the cafeteria. Kyle and Stan were missing from the room too, but Kenny knew where they were. In their absence, Cartman had joined Butters’ table, and it was obvious the group wasn’t happy about it.

Butters’ eyes locked with Kenny’s, and in a moment of desperation, he nodded his head very slightly towards Tweek. He didn’t know how much Butters’ knew of the current situation, but Kenny had always found that Butters knew more than anyone could ever suspect. Butters saw the movement, and he instantly leaned into Scott, whispering something before getting up from the table.

Kenny let out a small breath of relief and looked back at Tweek. The smaller boy had begun shaking, and in a quick effort, Kenny brought him into a hug, trying to settle Tweek down. He could feel him tense up against him, but he then relaxed. Kenny looked over at Butters as he sat down on the other side of the table.

Looking up, Tweek flushed darkly after seeing Butters, and Kenny pulled back from the hug. Butters’ face showed no reaction to the display. He smiled warmly at Tweek. “Hey, I overheard Craig and Clyde saying they were going to do something for extra credit.”

It was easy to see the relief begin to sink in as Tweek nodded a little in response. Butters glanced over at Kenny, and he jumped up a little, standing. Tweek looked at him with concern, furrowing his eyebrows. Kenny looked from Butters to Tweek quickly. He could feel his chest swell, and he bit his lip. “I have to go meet up with someone.”

Tweek didn’t say anything but nodded. Butters grabbed Tweek’s attention again, asking him a question. Kenny took this as his opportunity to slip away from the two. After taking a few steps away, he let out a breath.

Kenny looked back at the table, seeing Butters talking to Tweek, the usual uplifting look in his eye. Biting his lip a little, he looked away, and left the cafeteria. He had really spoken to Butters in a long time, but a single sentence, and his stomach twisted from nerves. Kenny was zoned out as he walked out of the school, going to the parking lot. As he reached the outskirts, he pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up. His eyes closed as he took in a long drag, and he rubbed his eyes before exhaling. 

“You should really think about backing away from this all.” Kenny opened his eyes and looked at Stan. Kenny didn’t respond but offered him a cigarette. Stan hesitated but took one. “I’m being serious, Kenny.”

He bobbed his head just a little. “Maybe, but I’m not backing down now.”

“Who is this all for, exactly?” Kenny shot him a glare, but Stan shrugged. “I understand not wanting to deal with Cartman’s shit, and I get that you’re still interested in Tweek.”

Kenny looked at Stan again, giving him a look of warning. “I’m not.”

“You are,” Stan scoffed, “but it’s okay. As long as you stop being a dick about it.”

Kenny finished his cigarette and took out another one. “What about you? You’re spending a lot of time with Craig. Plan on saying anything about how-“

“Shut up,” Stan snapped, and Kenny almost thought he was getting to him, but he looked up to see Craig and Clyde walking towards them. Kenny raised an eyebrow at Craig, taking a drag from his freshly lit cigarette. Stan asked them once they were close, “What’s going on?”

“Craig is stress smoking.” Clyde chimed, and Craig elbowed him as he lit up his own cigarette. Clyde yelped in pain and rubbed the spot before pouting at Craig. “I’m not wrong, asshole.”

Craig rolled his eyes, “I don’t know what we can do about Cartman.”

“Nothing,” Stan stressed. The three others looked at him. “I’m serious, you guys. Cartman isn’t a threat if he thinks no one’s going to outdo him. He’s all talk.”

Seeming to ignore Stan, Kenny said, “We should let Tweek in on what’s going on.”

“Are you crazy?” Craig asked. “He’ll interfere, and then something will happen.”

Kenny turned to face Craig. “He doesn’t even know this is going on, and he’s already freaking out. I haven’t seen him so on edge in over a year.”

Stan and Clyde looked between the two and stepped back, sensing it was best to give the two their space. Craig frowned, “What do you mean he’s freaking out?”

Kenny threw a hand up, “He thinks you’re all mad at him. He was close to having a damn panic attack in the cafeteria when no one from your little group showed up.”

Craig blinked, finishing his cigarette. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he texted and spoke at the same time, “And you didn’t think to say something sooner?”

Rolling his eyes, Kenny responded, “Sorry I didn’t fit it in during the five minutes you’ve been out here.”

“Why don’t we just go inside?” Clyde offered, but Craig ignored him. 

“What are you trying to do, McCormick?” Craig said accusingly. Kenny frowned and stepped towards him. Craig watched him, frowning deeply.

“I’m not trying to do anything, Craig. Stop trying to pass your short-comings off on other people.” Kenny spoke honestly. “I’m not here to get between you two anymore, but I’m also not going to sit there and watch him regress into a nervous wreck. You’re supposed to be good for him. So be good for him.”

Craig blinked but nodded. He wanted to continue. He wanted to defend himself, but he gave in. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t want to involve him because I don’t want him to get hurt in crossfire. I want to take care of Cartman as quickly and efficiently as possible.”

Kenny watched Craig. He saw the vulnerability. He couldn’t help but feel some sympathy. While he was prepared to get a lot more off his chest, he stopped. He nodded and looked over at Stan before back at Craig. “How are we going to do that?” 

“We just need enough evidence to take him down.”

“Or we wait,” Stan added. They all looked at him again. He groaned in frustration, kicking a few pebbles on the pavement. “I think you guys are being fucking morons.” 

Stan looked at each of them, waiting for a retort, but one didn’t come. He signed, shoving his hands into his pockets, and finally, Clyde asked, “What do you mean we wait?”

“Someone is going to have to be collateral. We wait until he does something. Then we have proof and we just take him down then. It’s not some big scheme, but it’s probably also the safest.” Craig frowned a little, not liking the idea of this going on longer than necessary. Stan added, “If he thinks we’re planning something, then he’ll do something worse. If we can keep him from escalating his own plan then we’re better off.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Clyde commented, and Kenny nodded in agreement. Craig huffed and looked down at his phone. Looking over at him, Clyde said, “It’s the best we have right now. None of us are prepared to take him on.”

Kenny nodded, “We lay low and be patient.” 

Craig looked over at Stan, “Are you with us now?”

Stan rolled his eyes, “It looks like I’m going to have to be.” Craig chuckled and shook his head. “I need to make sure you assholes don’t get in too deep.”


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

“Are you really going to help them?”

Stan’s head snapped up to his doorway and saw his long-time friend standing there. There was a moment of hesitation before Kyle walked into the room and over to Stan’s desk, leaning against it. Stan didn’t have to ask how Kyle knew anything. He knew Kyle.

“I’m not backing out now.” Kyle gave him a look, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’m not expecting you to join in on it.”

Kyle let out a dry laugh and shook his head. “You’re a part of it, so of course I am too.”

Stan felt his ears burn, knowing his cheeks were getting just as red. He dropped his head, looking down at the textbook open in front of him. Kyle observed his friend. Tempted to make a comment, it took him a moment to resist the urge. Instead, he sighed, and Stan looked back up at him.

“Why are you doing this, Stan?” Kyle asked finally. Stan had been waiting for it, and even though he anticipated the question, he hadn’t figured out an answer. He shrugged his shoulders, and Kyle huffed. “There has to be a reason.”

“If you figure it out, let me know.” He mumbled, scribbling in his notebook. Kyle watched his friend and sighed. Stan felt guilty, and it seemed that a lot of people were doing things without a reason why, but he couldn’t put it into words.

Kyle took a shot in the dark, not knowing how close he really was to the truth, “Does it have something to do with Craig?”

“It might,” Stan admitted honestly before tossing his pencil onto the desk and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes. “I don’t fucking know, dude.”

Nodding slowly, Kyle stated simply, “It would make sense.”

Stan looked up quizzically, but Kyle didn’t offer an explanation. The two looked at each other before Stan broke eye contact, his face flaring up from embarrassment again. Kyle rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the desk. Stan kept his head down, waiting for the anxious feeling to subside.

“Stan, you don’t have to explain anything to me.” Stan nodded and looked back up at Kyle. “Except for why the hell you’re getting involved with Cartman’s drama.”

Stan let out an audible groan and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Do you even know what you’re going to do?”

“No.”

“Are you guys planning anything?”

“Not really.”

“Have you given it a thought?”

The questions came without rest, and Stan found that most of his answers were the same. He wasn’t entirely truthful, though. He had thought about it. They all had. They were just stumped on what to do. Cartman was the conniving planner in the group most of the time. They just went along with it when it was reasonable to do so.

It wasn’t often, and it had died down since they got out of elementary school. Cartman was threatened with expulsion in middle school, and after that, he had ‘calmed down’. It wasn’t much, and he still verbally bullied the hell out of people, but his physical attacks lessened, and people just weren’t scared of him anymore.

But, that didn’t mean that anyone liked him. Craig had expressed his frustrations with Tweek to Stan earlier, and he didn’t know where Tweek was coming from. According to Kenny, Tweek wasn’t so sure either.

“Stan,” Kyle said repeatedly until Stan noticed and looked at him. He raised an eyebrow at his friend. “What’s going on?”

Stan shook his head quickly, and his phone buzzed on his desk. He reached to grab it, but Kyle moved quicker. He looked at the phone and hummed. “It’s just Kenny.” He then tossed the phone to Stan. He caught it with ease and grumbled under his breath, answering the text message he received. Kyle continued to watch until Stan finished the message and put the phone down. Kyle then asked, “Are you at least okay? You’re not in trouble? There’s nothing I can do?”

Stan sighed softly, “Dude, really, I’m really fine.” Kyle didn’t look convinced, so Stan continued, “There’s just a lot of shit on my mind. I need to start thinking about college. My relationship with Wendy is almost non-existent at this point. Cartman’s causing trouble, and-“

Stan cut himself off and shook his head. Kyle was listening attentively, and Stan almost began rambling, but he caught himself. He stopped and shook his head a little. “Stan?”

“It’s all just piling on right now. So, I’m a little distracted.”

Kyle opened his mouth to speak, but the noise of footsteps coming up the stairs stopped him. Both boys looked at the doorway, and Stan frowned, hearing two pairs of feet. After a few moments, Kenny appeared at the doorway and walked in without a moment of doubt. Craig stopped at the door frame before following Kenny inside.

Kyle raised his eyebrows at them. “Craig?”

He grumbled and ran a hand through his hair. “Don’t ask.”

Kenny looked back at Craig, amused at how uncomfortable Craig looked. He remembered what happened the last time he, Stan, and Craig were together in a room. Kenny knew that Craig remembered too. Kyle had the feeling he was missing something and asked, “What’s going on?”

Stan shook his head, closing all his school books, knowing he’d get nothing done at this point. He shoved them back into his backpack as he said, “The Cartman situation.”

Craig nodded, “And can we kind of hurry?”

They all looked at Craig quizzically, and Kenny asked, “Where do you have to be that’s so important?”

“With my boyfriend,” Craig shot back. Kyle recoiled a little and frowned. “He’s stuck closing the shop again.”

Confused, Kenny stated, “He worked this morning.”

“And his dad told him that he needed to work tonight. You and I both know how that goes.”

Kyle interjected, “I’m sure there’s a child labor law against that.” Craig and Kenny snorted as Craig crossed his arms over his chest.

“He’d never say anything.” Craig said.

Kenny added, “His dad has him brainwashed that this is a gift.”

Kyle looked between the two. Seeing them behave civilly next to each other was a rarity, but it was apparent that it could be done. They had an interest in common, but unfortunately for Kenny, at the end of the day, Craig was the one dating Tweek. He only hoped that Kenny was telling the truth when he said he was done fighting over Tweek. If they could end the battle and drama that Craig and Tweek’s relationship caused, Kyle believed they could all be friends.

Kyle slowly looked over at Stan, wondering what was going on in his best friend’s head. There was something he was hiding, but he wasn’t about to force it out. It hadn’t reached that point yet, but it was clear that Stan was taking on tasks to avoid dealing with whatever it was.

“The amount of free labor Tweek puts into that place is crazy.” Stan mumbled as he zipped his bag and sat back in his seat. Both Kenny and Craig looked over at Stan, eyes wide.

“What?” Craig hissed. Stan’s eyes widened as he looked at them both.

“You didn’t know?” Stan questioned slowly. Craig was fuming, and Kenny shook his head quickly. “I overheard Tweek’s parents talking about it when I was in there a few months ago.”

Kenny quickly grabbed onto Craig’s arm, preventing him from going anywhere. Craig glared at him, ripping his arm from his grip, and Kenny attempted to grab him again. “Calm down.”

“Fuck no, I’m not going to calm down. They’re making him their damn slave, working him to death.”

Kyle stepped forward, “Dude, be quiet.”

Stan could see that Craig was about to explode, so he stood up from his chair, holding his hands up. “Seriously, my parents are downstairs, and we don’t need them to hear you screaming.”

Craig scowled at the three of them. “So, we’re going to stand here and do nothing about this?”

Kyle rubbed his temples. “We can’t do everything at once. What do you want to do, Craig? Figure out the Cartman situation or deal with Tweek’s parents?”

Craig huffed but slumped a little. He knew Kyle was right. There was no possible way to fix everything, but he didn’t want Tweek to continue suffering, especially at the hands of his own parents. He looked at Kenny, almost looking to him for guidance.

Kenny shrugged a little. “I mean, he’s right.” Craig rolled his eyes. “You’re going to have to make a decision.”

Craig glared at him. “You’d like that because if I chose to take down Cartman, you’d run and help him with his parents, making me look bad.”

Kenny rolled his eyes, “You’re so fucking paranoid.”

“For good reason!” Craig scoffed. “If you hadn’t gone to extreme measures trying to get into Tweek’s pants, maybe I’d have a little more trust in you, but I don’t.”

Kenny stared at him before saying, “I get that, and I understand where you’re coming from.” Craig stared back at him astounded. He had been ready for a fight, but Kenny left him speechless. “I don’t have any intentions of undermining you. You don’t have to believe or trust me, but my sole focus is just making sure that Tweek is okay. I’m working with you, Craig.”

Craig stared at Kenny for another few moments before nodding his head. “If you fucking do anything, I have the right to beat the shit out of you.”

Kenny rolled his eyes again before patting Craig on the shoulder. “I could take you.”

Kyle and Stan rolled their eyes in unison while Craig chose not to comment on Kenny’s claim. Instead he asked, “What are we going to do?”

Stan sat on the top of his desk. “Like I said earlier. We should wait when it comes to dealing with Cartman. Let him strike first. He’ll do something impulsive first, and that’s when we take him down.”

Kyle looked at Stan and nodded. “But you have to make sure that you are able to do that. The longer you let this go on, the more severe the consequences will be.”

Nervously, Craig looked between Kyle and Stan but remained silent. Kenny spoke up, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Kyle shot Kenny a look, “You know how Cartman gets.” Kenny hummed. “Out of the three of us, you’ve always been the one to hang out with him the most. You know how he is. Don’t pretend that the last two years you’ve spent with Tweek has made you forget that.”

Kenny flushed and shoved his hands into his pockets. He mumbled, “I guess that’s true.” 

Craig hummed, “Why don’t you do that?” Kenny raised an eyebrow, and Craig his hand a little before explaining further, “Hang out with him. Try and get inside information.”

“That’s not going to work.” Kenny answered plainly. “He wouldn’t trust me. I was there when we started this.”

Craig looked over at Stan and Kyle. “Then one of you two, Kyle probably. He probably knows that Stan was talking with us at lunch, but you weren’t there, Kyle.”

“Kyle doesn’t want to get involved.” Stan mentioned, and Kyle rolled his eyes, looking at Stan. “You don’t.”

“Like I said earlier, I don’t have a choice. If you’re in it, I’m in it too. I’ll do whatever makes this stop.” Stan nodded and looked down, crossing his arms over his chest. Craig watched Stan before his attention returned to Kyle. He didn’t had the time to question anything before Kyle clarified, “So, I will spend time with Cartman, and I’ll make it the least suspicious as possible. If I find anything out, I’ll let you guys know immediately.”

Kenny scoffed, “Yeah, I’d hope so.” 

Craig ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. “Can I leave now?”

Stan motioned to the door, and Craig looked at them all before taking out his phone as he walked out of the room and out of Stan’s house. His mind was racing again, and he didn’t know how to stop it. He did know one thing and that was that he needed to see Tweek as soon as possible. 

He hadn’t talked to him much since the morning, and he knew that was wrong. Craig was so caught up in the ordeal with Cartman, that he didn’t even realize he hadn’t seen Tweek. He didn’t realize they hadn’t talked, and when those realizations sunk in, he felt like shit. 

Tweek Bros came up on the horizon, and Craig began jogging slightly. Kenny’s words from earlier repeated through his mind. He did want to be good for Tweek, and his anxiety flared when he then remembered that he wasn’t all the great of a person overall. What did Tweek see in him? Craig couldn’t find the answer and tears stung his eyes.

As Craig approached the building, he came to stop and wiped his eyes. He breathed in a deep, shaky breath as he composed himself to go inside. Usually there were no customers in the shop as the day neared its end. Today was no different. Craig’s eyes scanned through the store before landing on Tweek behind the counter.

Tweek furrowed his eyebrows at Craig as a look of concern flooded his features. He shifted on his feet before asking, “Craig?” He looked as if he had more to say, but his words ended there.

Craig walked quickly up to the counter, but Tweek took a step back. Craig frowned at him. “Tweek?”

Tweek looked at him nervously before glancing at the door to the back room. Craig’s eyes followed his before looking back at him. He noticed Tweek’s nervous twitching. He noticed how reserved Tweek had become since this morning. Craig was afraid it was all his fault. He thought they had worked through things, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe their issues were deeper than he thought. Maybe he did something really wrong. Tweek bit his lip, watching Craig. The smile that usually adorned Tweek’s face when he saw Craig wasn’t there, and it felt like a stab to Craig’s chest.

“Tweek, Stan told me something he heard your parents say.” Craig started, but Tweek shook his head, and he could hear his name being said quietly. He furrowed his eyebrows. “Tweek, it’s not okay-“

“Can I get you something?” Tweek asked, cutting Craig off. 

Craig frowned and asked, “Can you please just talk to me?”

Taking a deep breath, Tweek responded, “I really…really can’t.”

Craig stared at him waiting for a kind of clue or for Tweek to say something, anything. But, he didn’t. Instead, he looked at Craig expectantly, and Craig nodded, “Okay, cool.”

Tweek’s shoulders slumped, and he tugged at his hair a little, “Craig…”

Craig shook his head, waving a hand to stop Tweek from saying anything further. “I don’t need to deal with this right now.” He spun on his heel, heading back to the door, but Tweek called out his name again.

There was a moment of hesitation but he turned to look at Tweek. He couldn’t just leave Tweek. In the same moment, Tweek’s father emerged from the back room. “Tweek, who are you talking to? Is there a customer?”

Craig looked at Tweek’s father, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Tweek noticed, and his eyes widened a little before stuttering, “Y-Yeah, I was just starting on his order.”

Craig looked back at Tweek, confused, as Tweek began preparing something. He watched Tweek for a moment before looking back at his father. Their eyes met, and he easily noticed the look a disapproval. Craig took a step closer to the counter again, and Tweek’s father’s eyes never left him. He raised an eyebrow at him and challenged, “I could take my business elsewhere, if it’s a problem.”

Tweek glanced up from the espresso machine, his hands shaking slightly as he poured the shot of espresso into the beverage. The expression didn’t change much on Tweek’s father’s face, and he crossed his arms over his chest. Simply, he explained, “If you’re rude to any of my employees, I’m going to have to ask you to no longer come here.”

Tweek looked over at his dad, frowning a little, and then handed Craig the drink. Craig looked back at Tweek, giving him a look that Tweek’s father didn’t catch. Their hands touched as Craig took the drink, Craig’s fingers lightly resting on Tweek’s in an act, trying to comfort Tweek. Craig understood what was going on. Tweek’s cheeks flushed, and he looked down, taking his spot back behind the cashier. 

Craig hummed and said, “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

Both Tweek and his father watched Craig leave the store. Tweek saw the look Craig gave him one last time before he was out of Tweek’s sight. Tweek let out a soft sigh, and his father looked at him. Slowly, Tweek met his gaze, waiting for what he had to say.

“I thought I said not to talk to him, Tweek.”

The was a moment of silence between them before Tweek responded, “He came in for coffee.”

“I’m not an idiot. Your work here is declining. I know it’s because you’re spending time with him and all his friends. He isn’t a good influence, and it makes us look bad.” Tweek looked down at the floor, not saying anything. “You should really be listening to us. We know what’s best, and we know a mistake when we see one. Craig Tucker is nothing but a troublemaker. He’s going to make nothing of his life. He has no aspirations. He’s a nobody, and we’re not training you here to waste your time on a nobody.”

Tweek considered not saying anything. He knew that he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t stand hearing such negativity about Craig. He lifted his head, and his voice shook as he said, “That’s not fair.” Tweek’s father raised his eyebrows at him. Tweek then said with much more confidence. “I love him.”

Tweek’s father scoffed as he shook his head. “I don’t think you could have made a more disappointing choice, Tweek. I don’t care that you’re gay. Let’s make that clear, but why couldn’t you have chosen someone worthwhile?”

Tweek looked over at his father. “You’re so heartless. You don’t know him, and even if he has done things you didn’t like, he’s only human.” Tweek’s father began speaking, but Tweek didn’t let him get a word out. “I know him, and I love him. Despite what you think or want, that’s not going to change. You care so much about this stupid shop, but you don’t care about me.”

Tweek fumbled, untying the apron he had one. His father asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”

Tweek tossed the apron onto the counter. “I’m leaving. I worked this morning, and no one comes in anyways. I think you can handle it here without me.”

Tweek walked past his father, ignoring his father’s calls for him. Tears came to his eyes from the overwhelming emotions that released throughout him. The cold air stung his skin, but he ignored it. He just wanted to be out of there. It wasn’t easy for him, standing up to his father, but he didn’t regret it. He was nervous about the aftermath, but that wasn’t what he wanted to think about. The only thing Tweek wanted to do was be with Craig. He pulled his phone from his pocket, calling Craig immediately.


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

Tweek nearly fell into Craig’s arms. Carefully, Craig had wrapped his arms around him, holding him close, and stabilizing Tweek at the same time. He could feel how weak Tweek was and slowly crouched down, bringing Tweek down with him. Noticing Tweek’s skin turning red from the cold, he took off his own jacket and wrapped it around him.

Craig hadn’t been far from Tweek Bros when his phone went off. He answered it immediately, and when Tweek’s voice came through the other end, Craig knew something was wrong. When Tweek could barely form sentences, Craig turned and hurried back towards the shop. They hadn’t said a word to each other before Tweek collapsed into his arms, his breathing staggered.

Craig pressed a kiss to the top of Tweek’s head and said quietly into his ear, “Hey, hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.” A few people on the sidewalk noticed but didn’t stop at the boys. Tweek tightened his grip on Craig’s arms, unable to get a word out. Craig pressed another kiss to his forehead and said lowly again, “Tweek, listen, take some deep breaths for me, okay?” Tweek looked up at Craig, eyes red. Craig nodded at Tweek in encouragement. “You can do it.”

Tweek shook lightly still, but Craig could feel his chest expand as he tried taking a deep breath. From his peripheral vision, Craig could see a car pull up to the side of them. He was ready to tell them to buzz off, but when he looked up, he saw Clyde’s concerned face in the window of the car. “Craig, what’s going on?” Tweek peeked his head up, his face reddening. “Tweek, are you okay?”

Without answering, Craig carefully stood up. Tweek looked up at Craig before standing also. Craig kept a tight grip on Tweek, in case his legs gave out. Craig looked over at Clyde, and he had already hopped out of his car, getting the back seat door open. “Come on, let’s get out of the cold.”

Tweek nodded his head weakly and walked over to Clyde’s car, allowing Craig to help him into it. He felt a pressure in his chest. It was anxiety, but it was bad. Tweek watched as Clyde carefully shut the car door and looked back at Craig, still deeply concerned.

“What’s going on?” Clyde asked once the car door was shut. Craig looked at him and sighed.

“Tweek’s having a panic attack.” Clyde furrowed his eyebrows further. “I don’t know why. I haven’t been able to talk to him yet.”

Clyde nodded, “Come on, we can go to my place. My dad won’t be home until later.”

Craig nodded and turned to get into the backseat of Clyde’s car, not wanting to leave Tweek alone. After watching him get in, Clyde got back into the driver’s seat, and they all sat quietly as Clyde drove the short distance back to his house. 

Like Clyde had said, his father’s car wasn’t in the driveway, and Tweek felt himself relax, knowing he wouldn’t have to put up a front for anyone. Craig got out of the car and waited for Tweek before following Clyde into the house. Craig kept Tweek close to him as they followed Clyde to his room. Tweek looked around the house as they walked, using it as a reason to distract himself. The pictures hadn’t changed in years. The furniture was the same too, but the house was clean. Knowing Clyde, that was probably a challenge.

They arrived to Clyde’s room, and Tweek plopped down on the floor. Craig watched him for a moment as Clyde shuffled around the room, moving dirty clothes to the corner of his room and making more space for the three of them. 

Tweek ran his hands through his hair, tugging on the ends. Craig sank to the floor next to him, wrapping an arm around Tweek’s shoulders. “What happened?” Tweek didn’t answer, and Craig didn’t force him into responding. 

After getting things in order, Clyde sat down on his desk chair, and he looked at the two, concern still very evident on his face. There was tension in the silence, and Tweek was becoming more and more aware of it as he felt the pounding in his chest lessen. He let out a staggered breath as Craig kissed the side of his head. Finally, in a low voice, Tweek said, “It’s nothing. Just a rush of emotions.”

Craig nodded his head slowly. He knew it was more than that, but he wasn’t going to push Tweek. Lifting his head, Tweek looked over at Craig. “My dad’s been talking shit about you for months.” Tweek paused. “I just...I’m really sick of it.”

Craig nodded his head once. “That’s isn’t anything I’m not used to already.” Tweek let out a huff, and Clyde bit his lip to hold in a laugh. Craig gave him a small smile. “I’m not universally liked. It doesn’t bother me.”

“But, it bothers me.” Craig nodded his head and sighed quietly, looking at Clyde. They were quiet until Tweek said tiredly, “I don’t want to go home.”

Craig rubbed his back as Clyde frowned again, asking, “Why?” After receiving a glance from Craig, Clyde backtracked, “I mean, you don’t have to answer. It’s okay. I was just wondering. If it’s personal, that’s fine.”

Tweek looked up at him, his eyebrows furrowing. Clyde bit his lip as his eyes darted at Craig briefly. Tweek shook his head, looking at Craig before back at Clyde. “No, it’s fine.” Tweek took in a deep breath. “It’s just...my dad’s a little hot-headed. This whole thing isn’t going to blow over.”

“What’s the worst he could do?” 

Craig held back a sigh of aggravation and looked at Clyde again. Tweek shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly. “I don’t know. I don’t want to find out.”

Craig gently squeezed Tweek’s shoulder. “You can stay with me. I’m sure my parents won’t mind.” Tweek nodded a little in response, and Craig added, “You can stay in the basement.”

Clyde, surprisingly being a voice of reason argued, “But, don’t you think it would just make things worse if you don’t go home? It’s only going to make him more mad, and probably worry your mom…” Craig shot him another look, but Clyde wasn’t accepting it. “I get that you want him to just stay with you, but Tweek needs to go home.”

Craig huffed, and Tweek looked between the two of them again. He didn’t say anything and dropped his head. They sat in silence again, but each boy’s mind was going a mile a minute. Finally, Tweek’s shoulders slumped again, and he looked at Craig. He sat to attention, watching his boyfriend in anticipation. 

Clyde watched the change in demeanor in both of them, observing and analyzing. Tweek’s eyes met his, and he felt his cheeks burn as Tweek looked away. Tweek bit his lip before saying quietly, “Clyde’s right. I can’t just hide and hope things will go away.”

Craig nodded slowly, “But if we wait a little while, maybe your dad will cool down. It won’t be so bad.” He offered, but Tweek shook his head.

“I know my dad. It’s not going to get any better.”

After a moment of hesitation, Clyde asked quickly before losing his nerve, “Has your dad ever, like, hurt you...physically?”

Craig’s eyes widened as he stared at his friend. He felt Tweek tense next to him as he stared at the floor harder. First, Craig was pissed at Clyde for even asking, but based on Tweek’s reaction, his anger soon moved to Tweek’s father. He didn’t want either of them to invade Tweek’s privacy, but he wanted to know the answer.

Clyde was flustered as he moved from his spot in his computer chair to the floor. “Tweek, Tweek, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. That was shitty of me. I was just worried. I know you said you should go home, but if you’re going to get hurt, we can figure something out. We will figure something out.”

Tweek picked at the sides of his thumbs, and Craig squeezed his shoulder gently again. “It’s okay Clyde.”

Tweek sighed again and looked up at them. His eyes stung with small tears, and he shook his head a little. Craig furrowed his eyebrows when Tweek let out a breathy laugh, running his hands through his hair, tugging at the end. Tweek felt like his chest was going to explode from anxiety, and he wondered how he’d feel once he admitted everything out loud to other people for the first time. He took a deep breath and finally answered. “Only twice.”

Clyde blinked and stared in disbelief. He had hoped Tweek would truthfully deny it, but Tweek was being honest. He didn’t know if that made him happy or not. Craig felt similar. Neither boy wanted Tweek to lie and hide anything from them, but neither were ready for the truth Tweek gave them.

“Tweek...that’s not okay.” Craig said quietly, looking at him. 

“Craig…”

Craig quickly shook his head, holding a hand up to quiet Tweek. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at his hand, closing it slowly and dropping it, away from Tweek. He began to apologize until Tweek laced their fingers together, squeezing gently. He gave him a small nod, and Craig let out a weak breath. 

They waited for Craig to continue, but he said nothing. Clyde took this opportunity to pipe in, “You say only two, but what if there’s a third. What if it just progresses and you get more and more hurt, and we’re not there to do anything? We’re not there to help, to get you out of the situation.” Clyde took in a quick breath. “What about your mom? What does she do? Is she okay?”

Tweek shrugged a little. “My mom’s never done anything.” He answered first. “She kind of, just, turns a blind eye.”

“I can’t believe she just does that. She’s watched you get hurt. She’s just let it happen.” 

Tweek looked down from Clyde, “If that means she doesn’t get hurt too...then that’s fine.”

“But, Tweek,” Clyde stressed, “She’s your parent. She shouldn’t just sit there and watch her kid get hit by her piece of shit husband.” Tweek looked back up at him. They locked eyes, and Clyde took a deep breath to say slowly, “Tweek, we want you to be safe, and there’s no one there to make sure that you are. You said it yourself, your dad is pissed. You haven’t done this before. Knowing all of this, it’s scary to me.”

“I can’t pick up and run away.” Tweek reasoned.

“I’m not saying you have to! But, you have to do...something.” Clyde slumped back, unable to come up with a plan at that moment. He looked over at Craig who had been silent this entire time. Craig’s eyes were fixed on the floor, deep in thought. “Craig, say something. You have to have some idea.”

Slowly, Craig lifted his head to look at them again. He shook his head a little before running his fingers through his hair. Finally, he spoke quietly, “Tweek, it’s not okay.” Craig glanced at Clyde before looking back at Tweek. “I don’t feel comfortable...knowing this and letting you just go back to that house.”

Tweek took in everything that they had said. He thought it over, and he understood why they felt the way they did. He understood their fears, but he knew he couldn’t just run away. He wasn’t at the age where he could pick up and leave, and if he was going to be honest with himself, he didn’t want to leave South Park. Craig was there. His friends were there. He was still in high school, and he didn’t have the confidence that he could make it on his own. He didn’t want to go back and face his father, but he had to.

Tweek squeezed Craig’s hand again. “I need to go back.” Craig let out an aggravated sigh, tugging at his hair now. Tweek inched closer to Craig. “I’m going to be fine, and I’ll call you if there’s any problems, and I need to get out.”

Craig sighed again and nodded. “Okay.”

“We can wait outside until you give us the go-ahead. That’ll make me feel better. That way, if something does happen, we’ll be right there. We won’t be far from you.” Clyde spoke quickly, and Craig nodded in agreement.

“Okay,” Tweek said quietly, looking from Clyde to Craig. In a split second, Craig pulled Tweek into a tight hug, kissing the side of his head. Quietly still, he tried reassuring Craig, “I’m going to be okay.”

Craig wanted to believe that, but there was something in the back of his mind that told him different. They sat in silence as Clyde drove Tweek home. Craig couldn’t get words out as Tweek left the car, saying goodbye to the both of them, and shut the door gently. Both Clyde and Craig stared at the house as Tweek entered it, shutting the door behind him. He was out of their sight.

Anxiety ravaged Craig’s entire body. He could feel his heart beating on every inch of his body. The pulsating began to fade, but he didn’t get better. Craig felt as if he heard his blood circulating through his ears. His body tingled, the feeling of pinpricks encompassing him completely. His vision blurred, and any outside noise was not registering. He stared at the front door in anticipation.  

Clyde looked between the house and Craig, worried for everyone. Craig appeared to be in a catatonic state. Clyde tried getting his attention a few times, but each attempt was a failure. He didn’t know what else to do but wait. 

They couldn’t see anything going on within the house, and Tweek hadn’t given them any kind of sign that something was wrong. He hadn’t given them a sign that things were okay either. They still waited, though. Both Clyde and Craig would never forgive themselves if something happened to Tweek after they left. 

Clyde was focused as the front door opened. Hoping to see Tweek, he bit his lip and smacked Craig in the arm after seeing it was actually Tweek’s mother coming out of the house. It took a second smack to snap Craig out of his daze. “What?” He hissed and followed Clyde’s gesture. Noticing Tweek’s mother now, he muttered under his breath, “Shit.”

She reached the car and knocked on the driver side window. Clyde hesitated before rolling down the window. She had a sickly sweet smile on her face, and Craig’s nerves worsened again. He couldn’t recall a time she had this kind of look on her face. “You boys should leave now. Tweek is in for the night.”

Clyde looked over at Craig, prompting Craig to say, “He said he’d come back out and say goodnight.”

It was a lie, but Clyde was smart enough not to question it or express confusion. Instead, he looked back at Tweek’s mother. She pursed her lips for a moment, and Craig saw the irritation flash through her eyes, but her next movements confused Craig. She looked back at the house for a quick second before looking at Craig again, her voice low as she said, “You can talk to him tomorrow at school. It’s getting late. You both should be getting home.”

“But Tweek,” Clyde protested, but Craig put a hand on his shoulder. Clyde whipped his head to look at Craig. Giving Clyde a harsh look, he took the hint and nodded his head. “Okay, thank you Mrs. Tweak.”

The smile appeared once more on her face, and Clyde rolled up the window before backing out of the driveway. After a few moments, Clyde smacked Craig in the arm. “What the fuck was that? I thought we were supposed to stay there to make sure he was safe!”

Craig felt guilty for leaving. He knew that they were supposed to stay there, but something in his gut said they needed to leave. Craig didn’t say anything, and Clyde didn’t press him on it. Instead he formulated what he wanted to say, pulling into the 24-hour diner nearby. He parked the car and looked at Craig. 

“We were supposed to be there for him. His mom probably made us leave so we couldn’t do anything. He’s your boyfriend, Craig, and you just listened to her and had us leave.”

Craig shot a glare at Clyde and snapped, “Fuck off.”

Craig unbuckled his seatbelt and hopped out of the car. Clyde watched him before sighing and turning the car off. He followed Craig. “Craig, I’m sorry. I’m just worried!”

Craig spun on his heel, facing Clyde. They were mere centimeters apart, and Clyde could see the fire in Craig’s eyes. “And you fucking think that I’m not?” Clyde took a step back, not having seen Craig this angry is a long time. He didn’t get a chance to respond before Craig continued, “I’m fucking so sick to my stomach because I am so worried. And, I am pissed off because there’s absolutely nothing I can do without make something worse. His parents fucking hate me. The majority of this town fucking hates me. I doubt anyone would believe a goddamn word I say if I went anywhere. But, then what? I go somewhere. They check out the situation. His dad isn’t a moron. I’m sure he’d have everything covered up, and then I would look like the asshole, making things up. Then, when something really really bad happens, no one will fucking believe me because no one wants to believe that something so fucking shitty can happen in this small-ass piece of shit garbage town.”

“Craig,” Clyde said quietly. Craig shook his head, taking his own step backwards, and broke eye contact with Clyde. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that you don’t care. I know that you do. I know that you care a lot.”

Craig ran his hands through his hair and looked up again. “There’s so much going on at once. Fucking Cartman, now this, and Tweek is in the middle of it all. How the fuck did that happen?”

“We can’t change the world.” Clyde said quietly. Craig nodded and sighed. “All we can do is be there for him.”

The bell attached to the door of the diner rang, and both boys look over, seeing Kenny, Stan, and Kyle exit. Craig rolled his eyes as Clyde nodded at them politely. Kenny hummed and stopped at them, “Have a little outburst there, Tucker?”

Craig shot him a glare, “Don’t get me started, McCormick.”

Both Stan and Kyle audibly groaned and pulled at Kenny’s jacket, pulling him backwards. “I thought we were done with this.” Stan complained. Kenny looked over at him and shrugged before looking back at Craig.

“Today’s been pretty shitty. I’d appreciate it if you laid off for once in your fucking life.”

Stan frowned, letting go of Kenny’s jacket. “What’s going on?” Kyle and Kenny glanced at Stan before looking at Craig for his answer. He didn’t give one, though. Instead, he shook his head and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. Stan rolled his eyes, “Does it have to do with Tweek?”

“Obviously,” Kenny answered for him. “You were all mad he was working earlier. What happened? Did you two get into this huge fight? Is he mad at you now?”

Kyle nudged Kenny to get him to stop talking. Sighing overdramatically, Kenny looked at Craig. It was quiet between them. Craig looked to Clyde, unsure if he should be telling them what Tweek had confessed earlier. It wasn’t his secret to share, but he also wondered if they could help. Kenny did work with Tweek, after all. Kenny could keep an eye on the situation when Craig couldn’t.

Craig looked back at them. “Tweek upset his dad earlier, and he was afraid to go home.” Kenny frowned, his eyebrows furrowing. “I guess his dad has been physical with him a few times before.”

“What?” Kenny breathed as both Stan and Kyle looked on, shock evident on their faces. 

“This is the first time he’s ever said anything about it. Has he ever said anything to you?” Clyde question, watching Kenny, who shook his head. “Has he ever come to school with, like, suspicious bruises or something?”

Kenny shook his head again, looking down at the ground. Clyde sighed and looked over at Craig. “It’s okay if you haven’t. There’s a reason Tweek never talked about it, but please don’t go to him about this. I don’t know if I should have said anything.” Craig said looking at the three of them. 

Both Kyle and Stan nodded in understanding, but Kenny looked up, his eyes wide. He said quickly, “Last winter.” Craig raised an eyebrow at him. “Last winter, he was out of school for, like, three days.”

“What? Why?” Clyde asked quickly, stepping between Kenny and Craig. 

Kenny shrugged, “He said he was sick, but he didn’t seem sick…and he still worked the coffee shop, but I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, but I wasn’t looking either.” They all nodded slowly. “Do you think that was one of the times?”

Craig shrugged, “It could have been…”

“What do we do?” Kenny asked.

Craig chewed at his lower lip before answering, “We support him. We let him know that we’re there for him, but now that you know, you can watch him at work, and make sure he’s okay. If there’s anything off or wrong, you need to let me know immediately.”

Kenny nodded, “I can do that.”


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

Craig anxiously tapped at the side of his phone, staring at the entrance to the school. He stood along the sidewalk, doing his best to stay out of his peer’s way, but also not caring enough to move for each individual person. He looked at his phone again, letting out an aggravated sigh when there were no new messages. Kenny was supposed to call him when he got into work that morning, but he heard nothing from him. 

He fidgeted, tapping against the screen of his phone again, looking from the school to the parking lot, to the sidewalks, and back to the school again. Craig hadn’t gotten a message from Tweek either. He hoped, wished, for something. There was probably a logical reason why he hadn’t heard from Tweek, he reasoned with himself, but the sense of rationality faded quickly.

Craig looked at his phone again, staring at the time change to the next minute. After letting out another sigh of annoyance, he pressed Kenny’s contact information to call him. He pressed the phone against his ear, listening to the dial tone come through quickly. After a few moments, Kenny picked up, “He’s not here.”

Craig pinched the bridge of his nose, “Yeah, that was safe to assume.”

“Has Clyde seen him?” Kenny asked, and Craig could hear the blowing wind through the phone. He was walking from the coffee shop to the school, Craig concluded.

Instead of answering Kenny’s question, he asked, “He didn’t show up at the coffee shop at all?”

“No, I was the only one here.”

“If his dad was mad at him, he’d make him work, wouldn’t he?” Craig looked down at the ground to take a moment to gather his thoughts before looking over at the parking lot. 

He noticed Stan and Wendy, talking behind her car. For a moment, it distracted him. He watched the way Stan rubbed the back of his neck, keeping his gaze away from his girlfriend. He watched as Wendy crossed her arms over her chest, her face red. Craig didn’t know if it because of their conversation or the harsh winds. She threw up her hands in what Craig guessed was aggravation. The brought Stan’s eyes back to her, and he reached out to her with hesitation, but she slapped his hand away before turning on her heel and heading towards the school. Stan watched her go, rubbing the back of his neck again.

Their eyes met and held contact for a few moments before Stan turned away, picking up his backpack from the ground. Craig was brought back to focus, hearing Kenny say his name repeatedly through the phone. “What?” Craig finally asked, looking back at the school.

“Have you heard anything from Clyde?” 

“Hold on,” Craig said before pulling the phone away from his ear to check his notifications. 

Clyde had been tasked to park near Tweek’s house and watch it for signs of anyone. He was supposed to notify them if he saw anyone, but Craig hadn’t gotten anything from him either. He went back to his call with Kenny, pressing the phone to his ear again. “McCormick?”

“Well?” Kenny asked, his breathing picking up. Craig could only assume he was walking quicker to get to the school.

“Nothing,” Craig answered simply. “I’m guessing he fell asleep in his car.”

Kenny huffed, “Call him and wake his ass up. Then call me back.”

Craig couldn’t respond before Kenny hung up the phone. He pinched the bridge of his nose again, reconsidering including him in on this. He looked at his phone, switching over to Clyde’s contact info, and calling him. 

After a few rings, Clyde picked up the phone. “I haven’t seen him.”

“Yeah? Are you sure that you’ve been awake the entire time?” Craig replied in an accusatory tone.

Craig could tell that Clyde was rolling his eyes. It was something he could sense at this point in their friendship. “Fuck you, man. I’ve been awake the whole time.”

“I just haven’t heard from you, and you always have something to say.” Craig explained, deciding against giving Clyde a harder time.

“I haven’t seen anything.” Clyde repeated. “I haven’t even seen his mom or dad leave the house.”

“Which means he’s probably still in the house.” Craig sighed. “But, he should be leaving for school. Shouldn’t he?”

“Oh!” Clyde exclaimed. “I can go knock on the door. Say I’m picking him up for school.”

Craig nodded to himself, a small smile tugging at his lips. “And people say you’re an idiot.”

Clyde rolled his eyes again, “Pretty sure it’s only you who says that.” Craig could hear Clyde shuffle around a bit before beeping came from his car. It stopped, and he heard Clyde change gears and then turning the car off completely. “Okay, I’ll call you back.”

Clyde hung up the phone before Craig could say anything. Craig groaned, sticking his phone into his pocket. He didn’t want to look at it. He didn’t want the agonizing pain of waiting, staring at his phone screen. He watched everyone walking into the school. He looked out for the wild blond hair that belonged to the boy he had come to love, but he didn’t see it.

Craig kept his hand on his phone, waiting to feel it vibrate. His eyes caught Token’s, and the latter raised an eyebrow at him. After kissing Nichole’s cheek, he left her side, approaching Craig. Having watched the exchange, Craig nodded at Token when he came up to him.

“Everything okay?” Token asked, already knowing the answer. Craig shrugged. Token glanced around, “Where’s Clyde?” He glanced around again. “And Tweek?”

Craig shrugged again and looked down at the ground. “Clyde’s getting him. They should be getting here soon.”

Token nodded slowly. “Well, can we wait inside? It’s cold as shit out here.”

Craig shook his head quickly. “You can go. I’ll stay here.” Token frowned at him. Craig looked over at him. “I’m fine. Go ahead, man.”

Token sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets to keep them warm but didn’t move. Craig looked over at him before looking back out at the crowd of students coming to the school. A moment later he felt his phone vibrate, and he took it from his pocket, not even taking a moment to look at who the caller was before answering. 

“Did you talk to him?” Craig asked into the phone. Token looked over at him quizzically. Craig didn’t notice though, he was too focused on what was said on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, he’s coming with me to school. Kenny showed up too.” Clyde said simply, not giving any more details verbally. His tone was blank, lacking its usual dramatized emotion. Even when Craig pressed him for something more, Clyde was tight-lipped and ended the call quickly.

Swearing under his breath, Craig put his phone back into his pocket and watched the parking lot at every car that came in and parked. Token still watched Craig and asked after giving him a moment, “What’s going on?”

Craig shook his head. “Nothing, don’t worry about it.” He spoke quickly, but it didn’t stop Token from asking more questions, and in the middle of his next one, Craig cut him off. “It’s really nothing, Token.”

Craig spotted Clyde pulling into the parking lot, and finally, Craig moved from his spot, moving quickly to Clyde’s car. He could see Kenny sitting in the passenger’s seat, and Craig tried reading both their faces. Kenny was clearly mad. His face was red, and he stared forward. Clyde was a bit more expressive. He looked from Kenny to Tweek, speaking quickly, and Craig could only assume it was adding to Kenny’s irritation.

Kenny looked over at Craig before saying something to Clyde and Tweek. Craig couldn’t read lips. He didn’t know what he said. Clyde’s animation stopped, and he looked over at Craig too. After a moment of hesitation and fidgeting, Clyde hopped out of his car and hurried to Craig. Crossing his arms over his chest, Craig frowned at Clyde.

“What’s going on?” He asked when Clyde was close enough. Clyde glanced back at his car before looking back at him. He began to fidget again. “Is he okay?”

Token had joined them at this point, and Clyde adverted his eyes to him nervously before back at Craig. “Just...don’t…” He trailed off, trying to find the right words that wouldn’t set Craig off, but he realized that those words didn’t exist. Knowing Craig, the way he did, nothing he said could make anything better. Clyde slowly let out a breath and finished his sentence, “Stay calm for him, please.”

Before Craig could walk to the car, Token grabbed both their arms. “What the hell is going on?”

Clyde grabbed Craig’s other arm, sensing an explosion brewing within Craig. He groaned angrily before looking back and forth at the both of them. Craig gave him a chance to let go before ripping his arm from Clyde’s grasp and looking over at Token. He took a deep breath to speak as calmly as possible. “There are things going on in Tweek’s home-life, and I’m trying my best not to kill someone.”

Usually they would know that Craig was speaking dramatically, but there was something different in his tone. Token’s annoyance melted into pure concern. Not only for Tweek but for Craig too. He’s witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions coming from Craig in the recent months and this calm before the storm attitude chilled him to the bone.

Clyde rolled his eyes as Token let go of Craig and Clyde’s arms. He nodded slowly and said quietly, trailing off at the end, “If there’s anything I can do…”

Craig sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I know, man. I’ll let you know, but it’s Tweek’s call.”

“Unless he decides to do something completely stupid.” Clyde chimed in. Craig shot him a glare, and Clyde added, “He’s too nice sometimes. If he decides to do something that’s wrong, we’re going to have to say something. No matter how mad at us he’ll get.”

“He’s not wrong.” Token agreed. Craig groaned a little and nodded his head. Token smiled. “Good.”

Craig stepped through them, going to Clyde’s car and to the back door. He breathed in deeply before opening it. He braced himself for the worst. Craig didn’t know what to expect, but he wanted to think of the worst, hoping that when he looked at Tweek and saw he was fine, he’d feel better. 

Tweek hung his head low, avoiding Craig’s eyes. Craig glanced over at Kenny, and the normal look of smugness wasn’t there. It unnerved Craig, but he also wanted to believe that Kenny wasn’t a completely awful person and felt empathy. Craig shook the thoughts from his head. He wanted to focus on Tweek. 

Hesitantly, Tweek ran a hand through his hair, detangling a piece between his fingers. Craig sighed quietly, whispering Tweek’s name softly. Tweek glanced up, peering at Craig through his hair, and Craig frowned. Quietly, he asked, “What’s wrong? What happened?” When Tweek didn’t respond immediately, Craig looked over at Kenny, losing his patience. “Can someone please just say something?”

“Craig,” Tweek whispered, and Craig looked at him immediately. Tweek bit his lower lip and looked down. “I don’t know what to say.”

Gently, Craig took Tweek’s hand, lacing their fingers together. He felt Tweek tense but relax quickly. “Something, anything’s better than silence…are you okay?”

Tweek sighed and nodded, looking up at Craig fully. It brought the darkened, purple skin on the side of Tweek’s face to light. It circled near Tweek’s left eye, but much of the bruising was on the side of his head. Craig’s eyebrows furrowed before he pulled Tweek into a gentle hug, kissing the side of his head. “Hey, you’re okay now. I’m not going to let this happen again.”

He could feel Tweek tremble against him and carefully hugged him tighter. Craig could hear Tweek sniffle before pulling back from the embrace. Tweek forced a smile and grabbed Craig’s hand again. “I’m going to be fine. I’m just sorry I couldn’t do what you asked.”

Craig began to shake his head before Tweek even finished speaking. Raising an eyebrow at Craig, he winced from the movement, and Craig lightly cupped the unbruised side of his face. “Don’t apologize for anything.”

Tweek nodded a little, but Craig could tell that Tweek still felt guilty. Kenny turned in the seat finally, looking over at them. Tweek jumped slightly and looked over at him, flushing. Kenny gave him a stern look. “Don’t apologize. Your dad’s a dick. He should be apologizing to you, and nothing he could say would be enough.” Tweek sighed as Kenny unbuckled his seatbelt to get out of the car. “I’m going to castrate that fucker.”

Craig smiled faintly and looked back at Tweek. “We’re going to figure something out, I promise.”

Tweek nodded and smiled at Craig faintly again. It was less forced this time. Craig leaned in to kiss his cheek lightly before stepping back so Tweek could get out of the car. He slid out and looked down at his clothes, straightening them out. Craig watched as he ran a hand through his hair next, taming the stray bits. Craig watched him, and when Tweek was done, he grabbed his hand again. 

“Can we skip school? This is kind of the last place I want to be.” Kenny said, shutting the car door. Craig rolled his eyes as Tweek laughed a little. Kenny smiled at him before turning to head into the school with them.

Craig noticed Stan hurrying towards them, waving his hands. “Guys, hold on.” He said loudly to stop them in their tracks.

Quizzically, Kenny asked, “What’s going on?”

Stan reached them and took a moment to catch his breath before saying, “Someone sprayed graffiti all over Tweek’s locker.”

Tweek frowned as the other boys audibly questioned Stan. He only repeated himself, and Craig huffed, “It was obviously Cartman.”

Clyde nodded in agreement. “He’s the only person who would have done something like that to Tweek.”

“But, would he have really been that stupid to do something knowing that we’re expecting him to do something?” Token questioned, doubting that Cartman was that moronic at this point in his life. They had all witnessed Cartman doing awful things, and he would have had to learn after all these years.

Craig looked over at Token, “It has to be. Tweek doesn’t have enemies lined up down the block like a lot of other people here.”

Tweek crossed his arms over his chest, not particularly fond of them discussing him as if he wasn’t right in front of them. It went on until Tweek cleared his throat, and they all looked at him. Once he got everyone’s attention, he said calmly, “There’s absolutely nothing that can be done. All we can do is go on with our day. So, let’s go. School’s starting soon.”

Craig opened his mouth to protest, but Kenny said, “He’s right. Let’s just go.”

Tweek nodded and squeezed Craig’s hand. He stepped forward and looked back at Craig when he didn’t move with him. There was a small frown on Craig’s face, and Tweek could only smile faintly at him. When Craig didn’t walk with him, Tweek slowly let go of his hand and turned around again, heading into the school.

Kenny quickly followed next to him, and Stan and Clyde looked at Craig. Frowning deeper, Craig watched them before finally following behind them, watching Tweek closely. Stan walked by Craig’s side, asking quietly, “Is everything okay?”

“Fine,” Craig mutter. “Just fine.” He looked over at Stan, seeing the concern on his face. Taking a deep breath, he then asked, “How’s Wendy doing?”

Stan grimaced at the question before rolling his eyes. He didn’t answer, and Craig looked at him from the corner of his eye. Stan stared at the ground, and Craig chuckled lowly, shaking his head barely.


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Tweek fiddled with his fingers, staring at them sternly. On his left, Craig was sat and watched Tweek closely. It almost unnerved him, but he knew Craig wasn’t staring to bother him. He knew that Craig was genuinely worried. Still, he looked over at Craig, giving him a small smile before dropping his head again. Craig sighed, running a hand through his hair, and looked away.

On Tweek’s right sat Kenny. His demeanor was a lot different from Craig’s. His legs were extended out as he leaned back into the seat, staring at the ceiling. He had been whistling faintly, and Tweek glanced at him next. On Kenny’s other side sat an empty chair. Tweek could only guess that it was for Cartman. The principal had left minutes ago to find where Cartman was.

Kenny tilted his head and looked over at Tweek. When their eyes met, he smiled at Tweek, giving him his usual wide smile. Tweek smiled back a little and looked forward at the empty desk in front of them. After exhaling deeply, he asked aloud, “We’re not going to get in trouble, are we?”

Craig furrowed his eyebrows. “Why would we?”

Tweek shrugged a little and looked down at his lap. Craig watched him for a moment before leaning forward and gently putting a hand on Tweek’s knee. “Hey,” He said quietly, and Tweek looked over at him before he continued, “I’ll fight them all if that’s the case. None of this is your fault, and there’s no reason you should be getting in trouble for anything. You didn’t spray red slurs across your own locker.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” Tweek said with a sigh. He leaned into Craig a little, lightly pressing into him. Quickly, Craig squeezed his knee again and kissed the top of his head. Tweek closed his eyes, asking quietly, “Can I come over to your house tonight?”

“Yeah, of course.” Craig replied quietly. From the corner of his eye, he could see Kenny watching them. Craig’s bitterness towards Kenny bubbled up, and he tried to shove it back down, but he couldn’t hold back the slight smug smile that tugged at the corner of his lips when he looked at him. Rolling his eyes, Kenny looked away and back at the ceiling.

They went back to being quiet until the door to the office swung open. Tweek jumped, straightening up in his seat as he stared at the wall across from him. Kenny turned in the seat as he heard Cartman’s voice echo into the room. He rolled his eyes, looking forward again. Craig, like Tweek, stared at the wall in front of them. It was for different reasons from Tweek, though. Tweek kept his eyes away from Cartman out of anxiety. Craig didn’t look at Cartman because he couldn’t guarantee that he’d remain calm if he did. 

“I didn’t touch the moron’s locker! Why do you instantly suspect me?” Cartman complained, following the principal into the room. He looked over at the other three and glared at him. “Just blame Cartman. Everyone blames Cartman.”

The principal sighed, sitting in their seat, and motioned at the empty chair. “Sit down, Eric.”

Eric continued to complain but sat down in the chair anyways. “I didn’t do anything! You’re wrongfully profiling me, and that’s bullshit.”

The principal rubbed their temples before looking at Eric. “Eric, we have reason to suspect that you’re behind the vandalism.”

“What, because they said it?” Cartman asked, pointing at Craig. Sneering, Craig crossed his arms over his chest, and Tweek looked over at him. 

“Other students have come forward saying they overheard the confrontation you had with Craig and his friends yesterday.” The principal explained. Cartman shook his head. “You didn’t?”

Kenny rolled his eyes, “You’re a moron. It was in the middle of the hallway. Half the school was there.”

Tweek looked from Kenny over to Craig again. Craig didn’t appear to notice or react in any way. Tweek fidgeted before looking back at Kenny and then over at Cartman. Kenny and Cartman were staring harshly at each other, Kenny on the edge of his seat. Craig decided to add to the conversation, “Who else could have possibly done it? Even when Tweek was hanging out with you guys, you were an asshole to him. There’s nothing you can say that would convince me you didn’t have something against him.”

Tweek frowned, looking at Craig, but Cartman responded quickly, “News flash, Craig, not everyone is in love with your boyfriend like you and Kenny are.” Craig stood up from his chair, and Tweek’s eyes widened. Cartman smirked, standing as well before he continued. “You two might be all over his dick, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us are.”

“Eric, that is enough.” The principal snapped. Both Craig and Cartman looked back at the principal. Gently, Tweek took Craig’s hand and tugged him to sit back down. Craig looked over at him and flushed, sitting back down, and dropped his head to hide his face from embarrassment. Tweek gently squeezed his hand before letting go.

Craig looked up and over at Tweek. He couldn’t understand how he was so composed. He couldn’t understand why Tweek wasn’t more upset. His parents were shit. He was forced to work ungodly hours at his parent’s store. Someone had it out for him at school, and while he guessed it was Cartman, what if it wasn’t? Craig couldn’t fathom someone at this school other than Cartman wanting to hurt Tweek in any way, but Cartman had him second guessing himself.

As Cartman sat sat back in his seat, Kenny let out a loud sigh and asked, “Aren’t there cameras in here? You know, for security? Couldn’t we just look on them?”

Tweek nodded and finally spoke up, “Yeah, that would settle all of this.”

Sighing, the principal answered, shaking their head, “No, we don’t have any cameras.”

The three boys raised their eyebrows at the principal. Craig asked, “What do you mean there aren’t cameras?”

They looked at the boys. “We just don’t have the budget to set up and run cameras in this school. There’s more things that need to be taken care of.”

“More than our safety?” Tweek questioned, and Cartman rolled his eyes.

“So, you have absolutely no proof of anything. Can I leave now?” Cartman asked, standing up again. The principal slammed a stack of papers down onto the desk, causing Tweek to jump. Cartman and the principal had a stare off for awhile before Cartman conceded, and sat back down. “This is fucking bullshit. I didn’t fucking do anything.”

“If you didn’t do anything, Eric, then who did?” Cartman glared at the principal. 

“Just because I’ve done stupid shit in the past doesn’t mean that I did this.” Cartman paused and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m smarter than that.”

Craig looked over at Cartman. “I don’t believe you.”

“That sounds like a personal problem, Craig.” Cartman shot back.

“This is your problem since everyone knows you did it!” Craig snapped, his voice getting louder. 

Kenny rolled his eyes and asked the principal, “What can we do? He obviously isn’t going to admit he did anything.”

“Because I didn’t, Kenny.” Kenny gave Cartman a side-glance. “Fuck you, Kenny.”

Kenny looked back at the principal and continued. “What can be done?”

The principal sighed, rubbing the side of their head. “Because we have no proof, we can’t punish anyone.” Cartman smiled smugly. “But, Eric, if you do one thing wrong, make one misstep, towards Tweek, you will be punished for this.”

The smile slowly faded from Cartman’s face, and he nodded slowly. “Fine,” He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest again. He looked over at Craig and Tweek, glaring just slightly, and stood up. “Can I go?”

The principal waved their hand. “All of you to class.”

Both Kenny and Craig stood up quickly from their seats, and Craig offered a hand to Tweek to help him up. The principal glanced up, watching the exchange, and as Tweek stood up, they cleared their throat, “Tweek, can you stay here for a moment?”

Eyes wide, Tweek looked at the principal, nodding slowly. He looked over at Craig and gave him a small smile before Craig followed Kenny and Cartman out the room. Tweek couldn’t hear what was said, but he heard Cartman’s voice before the principal scolded, “Kenny, no shoving other students, please.”

Craig had shut the door behind him, and Tweek watched him before looking back at the principal. An exhausted sigh came past their lips, and they looked up at Tweek. Moments of uncomfortable silence passed between them before Tweek asked, “Is there something you need me to do?”

The principal shook their head. “No, no, sorry.” There was another pause before they continued, “I just wanted to talk to you one-on-one. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

Tweek frowned a little, tilting his head slightly. “Yeah, I’m fine.” The principal nodded in response but didn’t take their eyes away from Tweek. He fidgeted in his spot a little. It took a moment, but it dawned on Tweek why the principal was asking him this. “Oh…” Tweek quietly said and trailed off.

The principal watched Tweek’s movements before saying, “We have in-school counseling if you’d feel more comfortable talking to someone there.” Tweek nodded. “And if anything is happening at school...or at home...if you feel like you want to come to us, you always can.”

Tweek nodded again, his face flushing, and he looked back at the principal. He replied quickly. “Yes, okay, thank you.”

He wanted to say more. He wanted to admit everything. He wanted to tell them that he was scared, that he didn’t want to look at his parents. He didn’t want to go home, but he also didn’t want to burden anyone else with his turmoils. He wanted to confide in Craig, but he knew there wasn’t much they could do. They were kids. Tweek felt helpless, and he wanted to express that. He didn’t though. Instead, he looked away from the principal and back to the door.

The principal dismissed Tweek, and he left the office, feeling himself shaking. The halls were empty, and Tweek went to his locker to get his things for class. The graffitti had been quickly cleaned off during his time in the principal’s office, there was still a faint red color smeared where it needed to be cleaned more. He could still smell the cleaner, and he scrunched his nose, opening the locker. Fortunately, nothing inside his locker was touched. He grabbed a few things before shutting the locker door.

“Tweek, hey,” Stan said, seeming to appear from nowhere. Tweek jumped, and Stan looked at him nervously. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Tweek let out a nervous laugh, “It’s okay, Stan. I didn’t hear you coming.”

Stan nodded before asking, “How are you doing?”

“Everyone’s asking me that.” He replied quietly, holding his books to his chest. Stan nodded slowly again, and Tweek sighed, “I get it. I understand.” He paused. “I’m just trying to not think about everything.”

“Cartman’s an asshole.”

“Yeah, I think that’s pretty much widely known knowledge at this point.” Tweek paused, “If he even did this.”

Stan raised an eyebrow at him.”You don’t think he did?”

Tweek shrugged and leaned against the lockers. “I don’t know. He was pretty adamant that he didn’t, and it really doesn’t make sense. He can be mad all he wants, but he hasn’t done something this stupid since we were kids.”

“If he didn’t do it, then who did?” Stan watched Tweek as the boy shrugged and looked down the hall. “I don’t know who else it could have been.”

“Yeah, I don’t either.” Tweek said quietly, pushing himself off the lockers. He looked back at Stan, giving him a small smile. “Thanks for checking on me.”

Stan nodded, “You might be with Craig and them...but we did hang out for awhile. We were friends.”

“I’d say we still are.” Tweek smiled a little more. 

Stan nodded again as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Take it easy, okay?” Tweek nodded. “There’s more people here for you than you might think.”

Tweek nodded again and thanked him quietly. After giving Tweek a small smile, he headed back to his class. Tweek went on his own way too. Stan glanced over his shoulder, watching Tweek for a moment before making a quick turn into the bathroom, letting out a staggered breath.

“Stan?” 

Stan jumped and looked at the source of the voice. His shoulders relaxed as he let out a relieved sigh. “Jesus Christ, Butters.” 

Butters jumped at Stan’s reaction before letting out a small chuckle. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” Stan nodded, looking over Butters’ shoulder at Scott. He looked between the two of them, and Butters asked, “Is everything okay? You’re pretty jumpy.”

“Yeah,” Stan answered quickly. “Yeah, everything’s fine.” Butters raised his eyebrows at him, and Stan quickly diverted the attention away from him. “What are you guys doing?”

“We’re in the bathroom, Stan. What do you think?” Scott asked back. Stan rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. 

“I don’t know. I just thought...going to the bathroom with someone was more of a...girl thing? I guess?” Butters chuckled again and shook his head. Stan flushed, not understanding Butters’ behavior. 

Butters explained, “Scott and I have classes right next to each other, simple as that.”

Stan flushed darker, feeling like an idiot, “Oh.”

Someone else came into the bathroom, and Stan jumped again, looking over at the door. Cartman walked in, looking at the three of them. He rolled his eyes, exclaiming, “I didn’t realize a fag party was happening in the bathroom today.” Stan rolled his eyes, and Cartman shoved his shoulder into Stan as he passed him, knocking him to the side. “You’re just missing your butt-buddy Craig, aren’t you Stan?”

“Fuck off, fatass.” Stan snapped, watching him. Cartman didn’t say anything else before walking into a stall. The other three boys grimaced before walking out of the bathroom. 

Stan intended to quickly walk away from Scott and Butters to get back to class, but as he stepped away, Scott called out for him. “Stan, you dropped this.”

Stan turned around and looked at him. Scott was holding Stan’s house keys out to him. “Oh, thanks.” He said as he looked down at Scott’s hand to take back his keys. As he grabbed them he noticed what appeared to be red paint under his nails. He quickly looked up at Scott again, but Scott quickly turned away to head back to class.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Craig had his arms around Tweek as he held him close to his body. Tweek still held his composure, and it began to really worry Craig. Throughout the rest of the school day, Tweek appeared fine. Tweek would smile. Tweek would laugh. From the outside, it didn’t look like there was anything wrong, but Craig knew better than that. There was a lot wrong, and Tweek seemed to refuse to talk about it.

He kissed the back of Tweek’s head, and Tweek hummed in response. The house was dead quiet. Craig’s parents weren’t around, and his sister was at Kenny’s house. Tweek enjoyed the silence. It was a pleasant change from the constant chatter in the school halls. He could tell there were words Craig was holding back, and he would usually have Craig speak his mind, but he enjoyed the silence too much. He also had an idea of what Craig wanted to say, and Tweek knew he wouldn’t have a solid answer for him.

Instead, Tweek closed his eyes and continued to relax. He hadn’t slept well the night before, and he doubted he’d sleep well this night. Tweek also didn’t want to think about it. The memories from the night before reentered the front of his mind, and he did he best to push them back. Craig noticed the slight cringe to Tweek’s face and tightened his arms around Tweek for a moment. “What is it?”

Tweek shook his head and mumbled, “Nothing.” Craig sighed but before he could say anything, Tweek said again, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

A moment of silence passed between them before Craig pulled his arms from around Tweek and sat up. Holding in a sigh, Tweek rolled onto his other side to face Craig. He glanced at him before sitting up too. Craig ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends, and looked at Tweek. “There has to be something you want to talk about.”

Tweek simply shook his head, “No there doesn’t.”

Craig shook his head and stared at Tweek, trying to read him, but the anxiety that pulsed through him made it difficult. Tweek stared back and remained calm. “Just talk to me, Tweek.”

Tweek furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. “Craig, why don’t you understand that there’s nothing to talk about.”

“Why aren’t you freaking out more?” Craig snapped, and Tweek frowned. “For as long as I’ve known you, you’re on edge. You freak out. You express your concerns. You have never been this calm and collective.”

Tweek shifted a little but didn’t break his gaze from Craig. After a brief moment of silence, Tweek said quietly, “That’s kind of mean, Craig.”

Craig opened his mouth, and Tweek raised an eyebrow at him, waiting to hear what Craig had to say. He let out an aggravated sigh and ran a hand through his hair again. “Tweek,” He paused, “I’m not wrong.”

“I think you’re doing enough freaking out for the both of us.” He retorted, letting out a breathy laugh. Tweek moved to get off the bed, shaking his head. As Tweek stood, Craig gently grabbed his arm. Standing, facing away from Craig, Tweek said calmly, “Let go, Craig.”

Dropping his hand, Craig stood too. “Where are you going?”

Letting out another dry laugh, Tweek faced him, “Home.”

“Tweek, you can’t do that. You have to stay here. It’s not safe over there.” Craig said quickly, stepping between Tweek and the door. “Please, the thought of you going home terrifies me.”

“What am I supposed to do? I can’t just not go home. It’s only going to make things worse for everyone. I’m going to be fine.”

“Tweek, please, if something happens to you-”

“I’ve made it this far.” Tweek interjected. Gently, Craig cupped Tweek’s cheeks in his hands, being mindful of the bruises on Tweek’s face.. “Craig…”

“Tweek, I love you. I love you so much..please just think this through.” Tweek began to reply, but Craig cut him off, “You can stay in the basement. My parents won’t care. It’ll be fine, and you’ll be safe.”

Gently, Tweek took Craig’s hands and slowly moved them away from his face, lacing their fingers together and squeezing them. “I love you too, but you need to trust me.”

Craig nodded slowly but hesitantly. Tweek sighed and let go of Craig’s hands. Craig watched as Tweek put his jacket on before picking up his things. Panicked, Craig gently grabbed Tweek’s backpack. Tweek sighed, looking up at him, “Please, just stay a little longer. We can figure something out.”

“There’s nothing to figure out, Craig.” Tweek replied gently, taking his backpack back, and swung it over his shoulders. He looked back at him. “I’ll text you later, okay?”

“You said that last time.” Craig pointed out, and it took real restraint for Tweek not to outwardly react. 

Instead, Tweek took a deep breath, “He’s more cooled down right now. I’ll text you.”

Tweek stepped to the side, walking around Craig. He spun in his spot, watching Tweek. Running a hand through his hair again, he sighed, “I don’t want you to go, Tweek.”

“I’m sorry, Craig. I’ll call you, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Conceding, Craig said quietly, “Can I walk you home.” There was a moment of hesitation, and Tweek looked at him nervously before shaking his head a little. Craig nodded with an understanding. He was the reason that the universe had shifted between Tweek and his father, he didn’t want to contribute to it any further. Still, he wanted to see Tweek tomorrow as soon as he could. “Can I pick you up tomorrow?”

A part of Tweek thought he should say no. He thought it would be the best for the both of them. He knew that his father would be home and would likely see Craig there. He bit his lip, and Craig was on the verge of retracting the question when Tweek answered, “I can come here.”

Craig furrowed his eyebrows, “My house is completely out of the way of school.”

“I’ll leave early. You’ll have to wake up early. We can relax before leaving for school.” Craig nodded a little. “I’d rather come here.”

A small smile tugged on the corners of Craig’s lips, and he nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

Tweek stood still for a moment before stepping to Craig, and wrapped his arms around him. It took a moment for it to register, but Craig hugged him back, squeezing him gently. “Everything’s going to be okay, Craig.” Craig nodded and kissed the side of his head. 

As Tweek moved to pull back, Craig squeezed him again to prolong the hug. Tweek didn’t fight it. He didn’t want to. He leaned into Craig again and closed his eyes. It wasn’t until they heard movement from downstairs that Tweek pulled back, his cheeks flushing. Craig smiled a little again, watching him. 

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Tweek said, “Don’t laugh at me.”

Craig grinned, “I wasn’t gonna.” Tweek narrowed his eyes more, and Craig chuckled, grabbing Tweek’s hand, and squeezed it. “Are you sure you want to go?”

Tweek nodded a little, trying to give him a small smile. “I have to, but I’ll be okay.”

Craig held his breath before exhaling and nodding. “Okay,” He whispered lowly, and Tweek gently tugged on his hand to lead Craig out of the room. 

They walked down the stairs and to the front door, avoiding whoever had come home. Tweek squeezed Craig’s hand again, reassuringly, and Craig smiled a little before leaning in to kiss him gently. After pulling back, Tweek left the house, and Craig watched him until he reached the sidewalk. Sighing, he shut the door, and leaned against it.

“What’s wrong with you?” He heard Tricia ask from behind him. Craig let out a low groan, and she hummed. “Does it have to do with Tweek’s black eye?”

Craig grumbled and pushed himself off the door and turned to look at her. “I didn’t do anything.”

She looked at him incredulously. “I never suggested you did. Karen told me that Kenny told her it was his dad.” Craig pinched the bridge of his nose. “Should I not know that?”

Craig shrugged. “I don’t fucking know. I don’t know anything.”

From behind Tricia, Craig’s mom came into view. “Craig Tucker.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry sorry,” he mumbled and headed back upstairs.

Calling after him, she said, “I’m getting dinner started soon.”

Craig only waved his hand in response and went to his room. He was quick to plop down onto his bed, covering his face with his pillow, and let out another sigh. His brain went into overdrive again. He started overthinking every movement he or Tweek made, every word that was said. He began to overthink everything. 

As the panic began to set in, he took a deep breath. He tried bringing better, happier memories to the forefront of his mind. He remembered advice he got from Tweek during times like this. He remembered the soft concern that stood out on Tweek’s features. He remembered the softness of Tweek’s hands in his as Tweek gently guided him into breathing exercises. Craig remembered the exercises, and he began going through them.

He breathed in, counting as he did, and held the breath until letting the breath out, counting again. He did this a few times, trying to clear his mind. There were moments that it worked, but then there were moments it didn’t. Still, he continued the exercises. 

A sudden knock came from his door, and Craig bounced up, nearly rolling off his bed. He looked towards the door, “What do you want?” He snapped, assuming it was Tricia. There was a moment of silence before the door cracked open, and Clyde looked into the room, his eyebrows furrowed. Sighing, Craig ran a hand through his hair, his other hand waving Clyde in.

Quickly, Clyde scurried in, Token, Stan, and Kenny behind him. Craig raised an eyebrow at them all. Clyde made himself at home, sitting on the floor by Craig’s feet, and Token did the same. Kenny took his spot, sitting at Craig’s desk, and looked at the mess on top of it. Stan shifted awkwardly, glancing around the room as he gripped on his arm nervously. Craig watched him, “You can sit down.” He told him, and Stan did. “Why are all of you here?”

“Tweek isn’t here?” Kenny asked, looking at papers on Craig’s desk with little interest. The other three looked over at Kenny, and Kenny looked over at them, putting the papers down. “Just an observation.”

“He wanted to go home.” Craig mumbled. 

Kenny looked at him with widened eyes, “And you let him?”

“I don’t own him. He can do what he wants.” Craig shot back, his voice rising. “And it’s not like I just let him walk out.”

Token pinched the bridge of his nose. “Not the point right now.” He interrupted. “Tweek isn’t a moron, so I trust his decision.”

“What is the point?” Everyone looked back at Craig, and he elaborated his question. “For the unannounced gathering.”

“I think Scott had something to do with the graffiti on Tweek’s locker.” Stan blurted out.

Craig scrunched his face. “What?”

Stan explained, “I was in the bathroom and Scott and Butters were there.”

“Butters?” Kenny interrupted, but Stan waved his hand, ignoring Kenny.

“And when I left, I dropped something, and Scott picked it up for me, and I saw that he had red under his fingernails.”

Craig nodded slowly as Clyde commented, “That’s really observant.”

“Yeah, but Scott takes art classes.” Token added. 

“It’s odd timing if he was using red paint the same day red graffiti was on Tweek’s locker.” Kenny said, and Craig nodded. “But, what reason would he have to do it? He doesn’t hate Tweek.”

Stan shrugged and looked over at Craig. “I don’t know, but it’s a better lead than having nothing.”

“I thought we agreed that Cartman did it.” Clyde chimed, and Token shook his head. “What?”

“There’s absolutely no evidence that Cartman did anything.” Token mentioned, and Clyde huffed. “Listen, I’d love it if it was him. He’s an asshole. Him being caught would be a long time coming, but I don’t think this was him.”

“If Scott has art, would he have the resources to spray paint Tweek’s locker?” Craig asked, ignoring the path the current conversation was going. They all looked over at him, confused, before looking at each other. “Who else takes art?”

They all shrugged simultaneously, and Craig stared off, unamused, in response. Stan bit his lip, watching Craig before speaking out, “Wendy did, does. I think she’s over there a lot.”

“Well, can you ask Wendy if she knows if there’s red spray paint somewhere in the art department?” Craig asked slowly, looking at Stan. He shrugged again. 

Craig looked at all of them, and both Clyde and Token could see the anger slowly seeping through Craig’s face. Clyde and Token looked at each other before looking back at Craig. He pursed his lips together before standing up. He weaved through them and went to his desk.Kenny scrambled to put the papers he had picked up back down, but Craig wasn’t paying attention to that. He grabbed his coat off the back of the chair and shrugged it on.

The silence in the room was thick, and no one wanted to say anything. Kenny had crossed his arms over his chest. Unlike the other three, he wasn’t afraid of Craig. He stared at him as Craig crossed the room, going to the door. Clyde frowned again and asked, “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to actually do something about this instead of sitting around throwing half-assed ideas with no interest to set things in motion.” Token rolled his eyes and stood up. Craig held a hand up to stop him. “Oh, please, don’t let me stop you from doing nothing.”

“Wait, where are you going?” Stan asked, also standing up. Craig bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from saying something he’d regret. 

“I’m doing what you won’t. I’m talking to your girlfriend.”

Stan mumbled something before saying louder, “I will, I just don’t know what good it’ll do.”

Craig rolled his eyes and left his room. Stan crossed his arms over his chest and looked over at Kenny. Standing, Kenny shrugged and looked back at Stan. “Are you going to go after him?”

Stan furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head. “No.”

Kenny chuckled lowly and made his way out of the room. Stan shoved his hands into his pockets, following behind Kenny, and both Clyde and Token shared a confused look before following Stan. Not many words were exchanged before they all went their separate ways.

Craig stepped up to the front door of Wendy’s house, but before he could knock on the door, Wendy opened it, and stepped outside. She shut the door behind her immediately and looked Craig. They met eye to eye, and Craig took a step back and down the steps. “Sorry,” She mumbled before turning around and locking the front door.

He watched her and scrunched his face a little, thinking. When she turned around again, she looked directly at him again, causing him to flush. Wendy was always confident and direct, something many people in the town envied. 

“Come on, let’s walk.” She said aloud, leading the way back to the sidewalk. Craig followed behind her, shoving his hands into his pockets. He pulled out his phone to look at it quickly. When there wasn’t a message from Tweek, he frowned a little, and shoved it back into his pocket. “You’re really worried about Tweek.”

“Of course I am.” He said lowly. A small smile spread on her lips, and she looked at Craig. “He always seemed so fragile when we were younger, but now, I think he’s a stronger person than me.”

“He’s definitely stronger than you.” She chuckled softly. “For you, it’s not a bad thing. It’s probably what makes you two work. You’ve always put up this facade that you don’t give a shit and that you could fight anyone, but you’re with someone who doesn't expect you to act that way around them. It must be refreshing for you.” Craig nodded slowly, having not entirely thought about their relationship in that way. But, he did realize that over the course of them being together, he was getting more and more comfortable in being fully himself. 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Craig admitted, his face still red from cold and embarrassment. She smiled at him again. She seemed to be in a good mood despite how he saw her and Stan earlier. He was tempted to ask about it, but he knew it clearly wasn’t the right time.

“What do you want to know about the art department?” She asked, changing the subject without hesitation.

“I just have a quick question,” Craig started. Lights from downtown came into view, and Craig wondered where Wendy was leading him. “Is spray paint available for students to use?”

She looked at him curiously. She let out a breath and looked forward again. “You think someone in the art department spray painted Tweek’s locker?”

“It’s just a theory.”

Wendy went quiet for another few moments before speaking, “The spray paint is kept locked up. Only a teacher can go in and get it for you.”

“So Cartman couldn’t have gone in and gotten it?” Wendy shook her head. “So, it really couldn’t have been him.”

“If we’re going along with the theory that the spray paint that was used was from the school.” Wendy replied. “It would have had to be a student who knows the teacher well, is trusted, and was at the school early.”

Craig nodded, “Okay, thanks.”

She frowned, looking at him again. “Do you want me to look into it? I can try and figure out who’s been coming in early and what some of the current projects are.” He looked over at her. “It really isn’t a problem. As much as I want Cartman to burn in hell, I also want the right person to be the one who gets in trouble.”

“How noble,” Craig said before looking over to Wendy, giving her a half-hearted smile and nodded. “That would be really great, Wendy.” She smiled at him again and looked forward. They passed Tweek Bros Coffee, and Craig glanced inside, seeing Tweek’s father behind the counter. 

Anger flared through Craig again, and Wendy followed his gaze. Craig sped up his pace, getting away from the store as quickly as he could. Wendy followed him but didn’t say anything. She knew how Craig felt. She didn’t need to ask. Craig took in a deep breath, counting to ten before exhaling. Slowly, he felt himself calm down. 

Craig bit his lip, “Are you doing okay, Wendy?” She jumped slightly from his sudden question and looked at him. “You seemed upset earlier.”

Wendy slowly came to a stop, and Craig stopped next to her. The oddly pleasant demeanor she had just moments before seemed to fade away as she stared off in thought. He shifted weight from one foot to the other and watched her, worried.

“You talk to Stan a lot,” She started and looked up at him. His eyes widened, but she only looked at him with a gentle expression. “I feel like there’s something he’s not telling me, and he started bringing something up this morning, but it wasn’t making sense.”

Craig furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re, like, the smartest person in this town.” She lightly glared at him. He held his hands up in defense. “I’m just saying.”

“It’s not because I didn’t understand. It’s because what he was saying was a jumbled mess, and when I tried getting it straight, he just got frustrated and mad at me.” 

“He’s not the most articulate person.” She nodded in agreement. “Just be patient with him.”

“Do you know something that I don’t?”

Craig shrugged and tried skirting around the question. “I don’t know what you know.” She sighed. “And even if I did, it wouldn’t be right for me to say anything.”

Wendy sighed again and nodded. “You’re right. I just hate feeling like I’m in the dark.”

“It is nighttime.” Craig said, trying to lighten the mood, but Wendy looked at him, glaring gently again. She could only hold the expression for a few seconds before cracking a smile. She shook her head. “I’m not wrong.”

“No, you’re not.” She agreed. “You’re not too bad of a person either. Regardless what others say.”

Craig rolled his eyes before retorting, “You’re not bad either for a girl.”

Wendy chuckled and hooked her arm with Craig’s as they continued on their walk. He could tell there was still something on her mind, but her cheery demeanor from before was back. Craig was worried for her but also worried for Stan. He knew how strong Wendy was, and hiding things from her wasn’t entirely fair, but pushing Stan to admit anything he wasn’t ready for wasn’t fair either. He held back a sigh, wondering how he managed to get in the middle of Stan’s issues, but then he remembered exactly how that happened. He took another deep breath and continued walking with Wendy.


End file.
